The American journal of the medical sciences
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The biguanide drug metformin is one of the most commonly used medications for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetics are at an increased risk for cancer. Previous studies have demonstrated improved outcomes in patients taking metformin suffering from prostate, colon, lung, thyroid, and esophageal cancers. Metformin's main antineoplastic mechanism of action is thought to be mediated through inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin, inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) alpha, and activation of p53. We investigated the overall survival of type 2 diabetic patients on metformin with pancreatic cancer and lymphoma using the Computerized Patient Record System at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Memphis TN. ⋯ Metformin is associated with a significant, positive effect of increased overall survival in type 2 diabetes patients with pancreatic cancer and lymphoma. These results are encouraging, and prospective studies should be done to further investigate metformin's effects in cancer.