Medical Cannabis in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer

A Randomized Phase II Trial of Medical Cannabis to Reduce Symptom Burden in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer (CanPan-C)

Medical Cannabis in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic and Colorectal Cancer (NCT06605430) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Pancreatic Cancer Non-resectable and Pancreatic Cancer Metastatic, sponsored by HealthPartners Institute. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

About This Trial

Many patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer experience burdensome and difficult-to-treat symptoms. The impact of multiple symptoms (called "symptom burden") can negatively affect a patient's quality of life, decrease their ability to tolerate cancer treatments, and lead to worse survival. Current approaches to manage these cancer-associated symptoms often work poorly, with most patients reporting a moderate to severe symptom burden. Therefore, there is an urgent need for treatments that improve these symptoms in patients with advanced pancreatic and colorectal cancer, and data suggests that medical cannabis can help. In this research study, we are examining the usefulness of using medical cannabis in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer to further study how cannabis can impact their symptom burden.

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Pancreatic Cancer Non-resectable and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 64 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Pancreatic Cancer Non-resectable subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Inclusion Criteria 1. Adults (aged 18 or more at enrollment) 2. Histologically or cytologically proven pancreatic or colorectal cancer. Histologies may include listing of adenocarcinoma, poorly differentiated carcinoma, or other pathology terms that treating oncologist would consider managing per usual standard of care of pancreas and colorectal adenocarcinoma. Neuroendocrine tumors are excluded in both cancer types. 3. Advanced stage (locally advanced or metastatic) pancreatic or colorectal cancer with no definitive plans for curative surgery in the next 3 months 4. Self-report of experiencing nausea, vomiting, anorexia, cachexia (wasting), or pain at least once in the 14 days prior to randomization 5. Plan to initiate or initiated within the past 2 weeks standard-of-care systemic chemotherapy (any regimen that does not include immunotherapy) at a participating institution with no previous cancer treatment that works throughout the body (like chemotherapy) in the prior 3 months (prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy is allowed as long as it was \>3 months prior to randomization) 6. Must be a resident of Minnesota 7. Must be willing to be registered in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program and follow all rules and requirements of the state program 8. Must be willing to report baseline and required patient-reported outcomes Exclusion Criteria 1. Self-reported regular use (using 10 or more days in the 30 days prior to randomization) of a THC containing cannabinoid product 2. Patients with a history of intolerance or hypersensitivity to cannabis (i.e., cannabis hyperemesis) 3. Patients with Alzheimer's dementia, active epilepsy, or history of traumatic brain injury 4. Patients with known active or untreated brain metastases. A brain MRI is not required during the screening period. ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language

Inclusion Criteria 1. Adults (aged 18 or more at enrollment) 2. Histologically or cytologically proven pancreatic or colorectal cancer. Histologies may include listing of adenocarcinoma, poorly differentiated carcinoma, or other pathology terms that treating oncologist would consider managing per usual standard of care of pancreas and colorectal adenocarcinoma. Neuroendocrine tumors are excluded in both cancer types. 3. Advanced stage (locally advanced or metastatic) pancreatic or colorectal cancer with no definitive plans for curative surgery in the next 3 months 4. Self-report of experiencing nausea, vomiting, anorexia, cachexia (wasting), or pain at least once in the 14 days prior to randomization 5. Plan to initiate or initiated within the past 2 weeks standard-of-care systemic chemotherapy (any regimen that does not include immunotherapy) at a participating institution with no prior systemic therapy in the prior 3 months (prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy is allowed as long as it was \>3 months prior to randomization) 6. Must be a resident of Minnesota 7. Must be willing to be registered in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program and follow all rules and requirements of the state program 8. Must be willing to report baseline and required patient-reported outcomes Exclusion Criteria 1. Self-reported regular use (using 10 or more days in the 30 days prior to randomization) of a THC containing cannabinoid product 2. Patients with a history of intolerance or hypersensitivity to cannabis (i.e., cannabis hyperemesis) 3. Patients with Alzheimer's dementia, active epilepsy, or history of traumatic brain injury 4. Patients with known active or untreated brain metastases. A brain MRI is not required during the screening period. 5. Patients initiating or receiving immunotherapy, a chemotherapy-immunotherapy combination, or non-standard cytotoxic chemotherapy (including patients enrolled/ enrolling in trials of investigational cancer-directed treatments) 6. Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or of childbearing potential without the use of birth control 7. Uncontrolled acute or chronic medical conditions, psychiatric conditions or laboratory abnormality that may increase the risk associated with study participation or investigational product administration or may interfere with the interpretation of study results and, in the judgment of the investigator, would make the subject inappropriate for enrollment in this study 8. Has any condition that in the opinion of the investigator might jeopardize the safety of the subject or interfere with protocol compliance

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Medical Cannabis

The Early Cannabis group will be provided with 8 weeks of medical cannabis at no charge. Following 8 weeks of cannabis, the Early Cannabis group will be observed as per standard of care for the remaining 8 weeks. The Delayed Cannabis group will receive usual care for the first 8 weeks, and then be provided up to 8 weeks of medical cannabis at no charge for the second 8 weeks. Prior to receiving cannabis, patients must first be certified by a provider for eligibility to receive medical cannabis before registering with the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program. Collective experience with precise dosage CBMs supports a pharmacist-guided titration protocol with robust patient input and close patient follow up. The treating pharmacist in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program thoroughly instructs patients on dose titration at the initial visit.

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

HealthPartners Cancer Research Center

Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT06605430), the sponsor (HealthPartners Institute), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT06605430 clinical trial studying?

Many patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer experience burdensome and difficult-to-treat symptoms. The impact of multiple symptoms (called "symptom burden") can negatively affect a patient's quality of life, decrease their ability to tolerate cancer treatments, and lead to worse survival. Current approaches to manage these cancer-associated symptoms often work poorly, with most patients reporting a moderate to severe symptom burden. Therefore, there is an urgent need for treatments that improve these symptoms in patients with advanced pancreatic and colorectal cancer, a… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT06605430?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT06605430?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT06605430. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT06605430. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.