Metformin Does not Affect Outcomes in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Treated With Neoadjuvant Therapy...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Emerging evidence suggests metformin may offer cancer protection.
• Data on metformin's role in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) remains inconclusive.
• This study investigates metformin's impact on LARC patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy and resection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of metformin on long-term survival in LARC patients.
• To assess overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in metformin users versus non-users.
• To analyze metformin's predictive value for survival outcomes in LARC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 324 nonmetastatic LARC patients (2004-2018).
• Comparison between 27 metformin users and 297 non-users.
• Cox regression analysis controlling for clinical and pathological variables.

Main Results:

• Metformin users were older, had higher BMI and ASA scores, and more 30-day readmissions.
• No significant difference in OS (P=.18) or DFS (P=.33) between groups.
• Metformin intake did not predict OS or DFS in Cox regression analysis.

Conclusions:

• Metformin does not appear to affect long-term survival in LARC patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy and surgery.
• Larger studies are needed to validate these findings.
• Metformin's role in LARC treatment requires further investigation.