Diabetic Pancreatic Cancer Patients Live Longer with Diabetes Drug

Donghui Li, Ph.D., a professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, led a team of researchers evaluating the effect metformin had on the lifespan of pancreatic cancer patients with diabetes.

"This study suggests that metformin use in patients with diabetes was associated with improved pancreatic cancer survival, so we should certainly begin study of its supplemental use in pancreatic cancer treatment," said Donghui Li, Ph.D.

Looking at existing data, Li and colleagues conducted a retrospective study, observing 302 patients who had both diseases, including 117 who were prescribed metformin. After one year, 63.9 percent of the people taking metformin were alive, compared with 46.3 percent of patients who were not given the medication. At two years, 30.1 percent of the treated individuals were alive, compared with 15.4 percent who weren't prescribed the diabetes drug.

In looking at the lives of all individuals participating in the study, the median (in the middle) lifespan was 15.2 months for those who took metformin and 11.1 months for those who didn't take the drug.

These benefits were seen in all stages of pancreatic cancer, with the exception of metastatic disease that had spread to other sites in the body.

Metformin was likely battling insulin resistance that's common in both diseases, according to Li, who says these results warrant a randomized clinical trial to confirm these findings.

Source: http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12614&catid=53&Itemid=8, Clinical Cancer Research, April 2012.