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Oncodiabetology II. Antidiabetics and cancer prevention
Róbert János Bánhegyi1,2, Andrea Gazdag3, Beatrix Rácz4
11 Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Egészségtudományi Kar, Doktori Iskola Pécs Magyarország.
Abstract:
The number of patients with type 2 diabetes is increasing worldwide. In Hungary, the prevalence of known diabetic adults exceeds 9.1%, causing increased economical and medical burden to the society. It is obvious that there is a considerable urge to develop novel, safer and more efficient antidiabetic drugs. Therefore, studies have been focusing on the beneficial or detrimental side effects of antidiabetic drugs besides their general metabolic effects. Every anti-diabetic agent has an indirect anti-tumor effect as a consequence of lowering blood glucose levels and controlling carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism. In addition, most agents have their own direct antitumor effects, on the other hand, some may play a negligible role in cancer promotion. While the latter possibility is based mainly on pre-clinical, experimental data or on short-duration clinical studies, the informations about the safety of antidiabetic drugs are verified by large-scale, randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled trials. Nowadays, metformin is the only drug that has been shown to reduce cancer risk in a variety of tumor localizations in monotherapy or in combination with other antidiabetic agents and insulins, and even in combination with certain cytostatics and biological therapies. The available data about the role of other antidiabetics in tumor prevention are less clear or insufficient. Here, we review the available – sometimes contradictory – literature about the relationship of tumor and antidiabet ics, verifying the safety of antidiabetics. Here, we propose that in the future tumor-specifically optimized antidiabetic treatment may play a role in tumor prevention or even in specific oncotherapy in patients with or without diabetes.
Insights
Type 2 diabetes drug research explores cancer risks and benefits. Metformin shows promise in reducing cancer risk, while other antidiabetic drugs require further investigation for their oncological safety and potential therapeutic roles.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology and Oncology
- Pharmacology and Cancer Research
Background:
- Rising global prevalence of type 2 diabetes presents significant economic and medical challenges.
- Antidiabetic drug research increasingly focuses on side effects beyond metabolic control, including oncological implications.
- Existing literature presents conflicting data on the relationship between antidiabetic agents and cancer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current literature on the association between antidiabetic drugs and cancer.
- To evaluate the safety profile of various antidiabetic medications in relation to tumor development and prevention.
- To explore the potential of antidiabetic treatments in oncotherapy and cancer prevention strategies.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of preclinical and clinical studies on antidiabetic drugs and cancer.
- Analysis of data from large-scale, randomized, multicenter, placebo-controlled trials regarding drug safety.
- Synthesis of evidence on both indirect (glucose-lowering) and direct antitumor effects of antidiabetics.
Main Results:
- Metformin is the only antidiabetic drug with demonstrated cancer risk reduction across various tumor types, in monotherapy or combination treatments.
- The role of other antidiabetic agents in tumor prevention is less clear, with insufficient or contradictory data.
- Antidiabetic drugs exert indirect antitumor effects by improving glucose and lipid metabolism, with some agents possessing direct anticancer properties.
Conclusions:
- Metformin shows significant potential in cancer risk reduction and may be integrated into oncotherapy.
- Further research is needed to clarify the oncological safety and therapeutic potential of other antidiabetic drugs.
- Future development of tumor-specifically optimized antidiabetic treatments could offer novel strategies for cancer prevention and therapy in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.
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