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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Crit Care Med. Dec 9, 2025; 14(4): 106085
Published online Dec 9, 2025. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v14.i4.106085
Published online Dec 9, 2025. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v14.i4.106085
Paradox of protection: Re-examining cannabis use disorder in sepsis outcomes among cancer patients
Wu-Si Qiu, Hao-Dong Chen, Wen-Jie Yang, Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang Province, China
Ming-Min Chen, Department of General Practice, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, Zhejiang Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Wu-Si Qiu and Ming-Min Chen.
Author contributions: Qiu WS and Chen MM designed the study; Qiu WS, Chen HD, Chen MM, and Yang WJ performed references acquisition and interpretation; Qiu WS, Chen HD, and Chen MM wrote the manuscript; Qiu WS, Chen HD, and Yang WJ critically revised it for important intellectual content. Qiu WS and Chen MM made equal contribution to the study; All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Scientific Research Fund of Hangzhou Health Department, China, No. A20251639.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wu-Si Qiu, PhD, MD, Associate Chief Physician, Associate Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, No. 126 Wenzhou Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 310012, Zhejiang Province, China.
Received: February 17, 2025
Revised: April 16, 2025
Accepted: June 20, 2025
Published online: December 9, 2025
Processing time: 286 Days and 8.9 Hours
Revised: April 16, 2025
Accepted: June 20, 2025
Published online: December 9, 2025
Processing time: 286 Days and 8.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This letter critiques a recent study revealing reduced sepsis mortality in cancer patients with cannabis use disorder. We highlight methodological limitations (e.g., coding bias and lack of dosage data) and propose future directions, including mechanistic studies on cannabinoid immunomodulation and policy reforms to address socioeconomic disparities. Key innovations include reconciling paradoxical findings through updated preclinical evidence, equitable policy frameworks to translate findings into clinical practice, and aligning policy recommendations with consensus and guidelines (e.g., National Comprehensive Cancer Network).