Metformin: the overlap of diabetology and oncology

Czech version

Authors: M. Anděl; P. Škrha; J. Trnka
Authors‘ workplace: Centrum výzkumu diabetu, metabolizmu a výživy Ústavu výživy a II. interní kliniky 3. lékařské fakulty UK a FN Královské Vinohrady Praha, přednosta prof. MU Dr. Michal Anděl, CSc.
Published in: Vnitř Lék 2013; 59(8): 738-742
Category:

Overview

Type 2 diabetes moderately increases predisposition for manifestation of tumor disease. Both drugs stimulating insulin secretion (insulin secretagogues) and insulin injection therapy also moderately increases risk of tumor manifestation (OR approx 1.3). According to some reports pyoglitazon therapy could be of increased risk of bladder cancer. On the other hand, hunderds of study on isolated cells, experimental animal models and retrospective studies in patients have shown preventive effect of metformin therapy on manifestation tumors of pancreas, breast, colorectum, liver, endometrium and ovary. More over, the prognosis of diabetic cancer patients on metformin therapy seems be better, than in diabetics without metformin treatment. These data are promising for future use of metformin for prevention and therapy of some malignant tumors.

Key words:
type 2 diabetes mellitus – cancer – antidiabetic therapy – metformin

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