Metformin is a common drug prescribed for patients with Type 2 patients to lower their blood sugar. It is a FDA approved drug since 1995 and is used by about 20 million people in the U.S. According to research conducted at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, metformin appears to fight lung cancer but only in obese or overweight patients. Recent findings also suggest that it might also help to prevent lung cancer when combined with other therapies.
Over the years, Researchers have analysed patient data to show metformin ability to slow down growth and spread of lung cancer. Drs. Yendamuri and Barbi designed a phase 2 clinical trial to see whether metformin help in preventing lung cancer. The team reviewed data collected from three sources. One was group of both obese and normal people who underwent surgery, second was group of obese and normal patients who received a type of immunotherapy and third who received preclinical lung cancer models.
Their study revealed that metformin was able to show anticancer effects only in those who were overweight or obese. Overweight patients who underwent surgery experienced longer periods during which lung cancer did not get worsen. It was also found that in preclinical lung cancer models, metformin slowed tumor growth and reversed obesity-caused suppression of the immune system.
These findings of the team show that in obese or overweight patients, metformin appears to shift the balance between biological processes that suppress the immune system. They were able to fight cancer effectively and kill tumors. According to the authors, this research will inspire other investigators to launch more studies to fully explore the potential of metformin.
Dr. Barbi expressed hope that these findings will encourage additional investigations. He said “We believe our findings provide a rationale for testing drug combinations that could prevent or treat lung cancer more effectively in this growing pool of patients.”
The information shared in this blog is for educational purposes only.
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