Use of medical cannabis in the treatment of endometriosis

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition, which affects 10% to 15% of women in the reproductive period and up to half of women with chronic pelvic pain and/or infertility. It is estimated that the number of women with endometriosis is 8 million in Brazil and more than 190 million worldwide. In industrialized countries, it is one of the main causes of gynecological hospitalization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the medical literature on the use of cannabis in the treatment of endometriosis. CONTENTS: Cannabis is increasingly available for the treatment of chronic pain, but its effectiveness remains uncertain due to the lack of randomized trials. CONCLUSION: Limited evidence suggests that cannabis may relieve pain in some patients, but there is insufficient evidence regarding dose, formulations and best route of administration that precludes a definitive recommendation on cannabis for the relief of chronic pelvic pain of gynecological origin.