(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Taking the most commonly-prescribed anti-diabetic drug, metformin, reduces the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 62 percent, according to research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
"This is the first epidemiological study of metformin in the
cancer population, and it offers an exciting direction for future
chemoprevention research for a disease greatly in need of both
treatment and prevention strategies," Donghui Li, Ph.D., lead
author and professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of
Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology was quoted as saying.
According to Li, more than 35 million prescriptions for
metformin, which is taken orally, are filled annually. It is most
often given to type 2 diabetic patients who are obese or who have
insulin resistance.
"Metformin works by increasing the cellular sensitivity to insulin and decreasing its level circulating in diabetics. Insulin also seems to have a growth-promoting effect in cancer," said Li. "Metformin activates the AMP kinase, which is a cellular energy sensor. Recent publications have described that AMP kinase also plays an important role in the development of cancer by controlling cell division and growth."
"Knowing that diabetes is a risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer and that 10 percent of such cancers are associated with diabetes, we wanted to better understand the specific association between different anti-diabetic therapies and this lethal disease," explained Li.
For the case control study, the researchers enrolled 1,838 participants -- 973 patients with pancreatic cancer treated at M. D. Anderson between 2004 and 2008 -- to compare with 863 cancer-free individuals, all companions of M. D. Anderson patients. Of all participants, 259 patients and 109 controls were diabetics.
The groups were matched by age, race and sex. Personal interviews were conducted to collect such information as smoking history, family history of cancer, alcohol use and body mass index. Diabetics were also asked about their anti-diabetic medication history.
