Pilot Survey Finds Cancer Patients Use Kratom Differently Than Other Users

Why it matters

As oncology patients increasingly turn to herbal products for symptom self-management, understanding how their kratom use differs from the general user population could help clinicians better anticipate interactions with cancer treatment and pain regimens.

The big picture

Kratom is widely used for self-treatment of pain and mood symptoms in the U.S., but data specific to medically complex populations like cancer patients has been limited. This pilot survey is among the first to directly compare kratom use patterns between people with and without a cancer diagnosis.

Key findings

• Researchers surveyed 136 U.S. respondents who self-selected into an anonymous online survey about kratom use
• Respondents with a cancer diagnosis reported different use patterns and reasons for use, tied more directly to pain and mental health symptoms stemming from their diagnosis
• Respondents without a cancer diagnosis tended to use kratom over longer periods for other, pre-existing health conditions
• The study characterizes findings as preliminary given its small, self-selected sample

What they say

The authors conclude that "kratom is used by cancer patients for diverse reasons" and that "further research is needed to generalize findings from this pilot survey."

Bottom line

**Cancer patients appear to use kratom more diagnosis-specifically than the general user population, but this pilot data is too preliminary to guide clinical practice.**