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Metformin in the treatment of pancreatic cancer
Patients
with pancreatic cancer often have a high prevalence (80%) of concurrent
diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, which are characterized by
peripheral insulin resistance. Accumulating
epidemiological and experimental evidence suggest metformin, the most
commonly used antidiabetic drug, as an antitumor agent. In our retrospective
study of 302 diabetic patients with pancreatic cancer, we observed that
metformin users had 4 months longer overall survival time, 32% reduced risk
of death, and about 2-fold higher 2-year survival rate than the nonmetformin
group. These observations add supporting evidence for the antitumor activity
of metformin. Findings from this retrospective investigation should prompt
future research to test the hypothesis that metformin can be used as a
supplemental therapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Bibliographic Reference:
Donghui Li Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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