The American journal of the medical sciences
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Prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) are both common diseases found in the elderly male population. The diabetic drug, metformin, has been shown to have antineoplastic properties and demonstrated better treatment outcomes when used as adjuvant therapy in patients with breast cancer. The hormonally-sensitive cancer analogous to breast cancer in men is prostate cancer. We investigated improved survival, lower risks of recurrences, and lower, more stable levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients with DM2 along with prostate cancer on metformin. ⋯ Our retrospective study shows that adjuvant metformin therapy leads to a better prognosis in prostate cancer. Not only are PSA levels controlled for several years but also there are significantly fewer cancer recurrences in metformin-treated patients. Overall, these results are promising and should be followed up with a prospective study to assess long-term survival.