Metformin Has Positive Therapeutic Effects in Colon Cancer and Lung Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Endocrinology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Metformin (MF), a common antidiabetic medication, exhibits potential antineoplastic properties.
• Its proposed mechanisms involve inhibiting mTOR and activating AMPK pathways, influencing tumor suppressor genes like p53 and LKB1.
• This study explores MF's impact on cancer outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of Metformin (MF) on survival, recurrence, and metastasis in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CC) or lung cancer (LC) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2).
• To compare outcomes between DM2 patients with CC or LC receiving MF and those receiving other medications.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of electronic medical records from Memphis Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
• Inclusion criteria: diagnosis of CC or LC, presence of DM2, and documented MF use.
• Comparison of outcomes (survival, recurrence, metastasis, CEA levels) between MF users and a control group using t-tests and chi-squared tests.

Main Results:

• Colorectal Cancer (CC): Patients on MF showed significantly lower mortality (48% vs. 76%), fewer recurrences (4% vs. 19%), reduced metastasis (23% vs. 46%), improved 5-year survival (57% vs. 37%), longer overall survival (5.7 vs. 4.1 years), and greater CEA decrease (72% vs. 47%).
• Lung Cancer (LC): MF therapy was associated with improved 5-year survival rates (29% vs. 15%) and increased overall survival years (3.4 vs. 1.8).

Conclusions:

• Metformin (MF) therapy is linked to significantly better prognosis and survival rates in patients with colorectal cancer (CC) and lung cancer (LC) who also have type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2).
• MF demonstrated a reduction in recurrence and metastasis for CC patients.
• Observed differences in MF's efficacy between CC and LC may be attributed to distinct metabolic pathways in these cancers.