Systematic review of preclinical CBD effects in canine cancers

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Frontiers in Medicine Published May 22, 2026 Medically reviewed May 22, 2026 Study authors: Francisca J. Medina, Cristian G. Torres DOI ↗ By Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

Key Takeaway

Consider the preclinical evidence for CBD in canine cancers as preliminary and requiring further mechanistic and formulation studies.

This is a systematic review of preclinical studies examining cannabidiol (CBD) for various canine cancers, including lymphoma, mammary cancer, glioma, prostate cancer, osteosarcoma, and urothelial carcinoma. The authors synthesized evidence that CBD exerts antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects and modulates intracellular signaling pathways, including ERK, JNK, and caspases. They also noted that CBD can have synergistic and antagonistic effects when combined with other drugs.

The review highlights significant limitations. The evidence is based on pre-clinical studies, mostly cellular models, with fewer publications available compared to human studies. No comprehensive review of these findings was performed prior to this study. The authors note a need to better elucidate mechanisms and to standardize concentrations and formulations.

Safety data were not reported, but the authors state that CBD was safe and well-tolerated in dogs. The practice relevance is restrained, with the authors supporting potential clinical use based on safety and tolerability in dogs. However, they caution against overstating potential clinical use or positioning CBD as an anticancer agent across different cancer types. The findings highlight potential associations, but causation is not explicitly distinguished.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedMay 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

Preparations of Cannabis sativa have been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries Currently, it is known that the phytocannabinoids present in the Cannabis sativa plant can modulate the endocannabinoid system, producing a variety of effects. Among the most abundant phytocannabinoids are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (19-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). CBD lacks psychotropic properties and has been shown to inhibit cell proliferation and migration, while inducing apoptosis in various human tumor cells. Studies evaluating CBD in dogs are more recent than those in humans, and to date, fewer publications are available. However, CBD has been shown to be safe and well-tolerated in dogs, supporting its potential clinical use. Since approximately 2015, some studies have been conducted evaluating CBD in different types of canine cancer; however, no comprehensive review of these findings has been performed. we conducted a systematic review Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.to compile the existing evidence on the anticancer effects of CBD in dogs. We found that the studies conducted so far are pre-clinical, mostly based on cellular models, and that available data are primarily in lymphoma, mammary cancer, glioma, prostate cancer, osteosarcoma, and urothelial carcinoma. These studies consistently show that CBD exerts antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects, in some cases by modulating intracellular signaling pathways, including ERK, JNK, and caspases. Additionally, some studies have evaluated the combination of CBD with other drugs, reporting both synergistic and antagonistic effects. Overall, these findings highlight the potential of CBD as an anticancer agent across different cancer types. Further studies are required to better elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effects of CBD and to standardize concentrations and formulations, enabling reliable, comparable results and the development of clinical studies evaluating the role of CBD in canine oncology.