Taking Glucophage (metformin), the most commonly prescribed oral drug for diabetes, has been linked with a lower risk of dying from cancer, according to a review of clinical studies, as reported in MedPage Today.
A retrospective study found that patients with type 2 diabetes who took Glucophage had a 23% reduced risk of death due to cancer. The study was reported at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting.
Review Data
Research was carried out at the University of Dundee in Scotland and included an analysis of data from two large registries: the Diabetes Audit and Research in Tayside Study (DARTS) and MEdicine MOnitoring unit (MEMO).
DARTS included data from about 13,000 people with diabetes in Britain, while MEMO included all pharmacy-dispensed prescription records from England�s National Health Service. The findings by Alistair Emslie-Smith, MB, ChB, and colleagues, were briefly reported in the 4 June 2005 issue of the British Medical Journal.
The study reported that 983 people with type 2 diabetes were diagnosed with cancer within one year of being diagnosed with diabetes, and these cases were compared with data from 1,846 people with type 2 diabetes who did not have cancer.
An analysis of data revealed no factors to explain the difference in mortality rates due to cancer, except for taking Glucophage. Some potentially distinguishing factors that they examined included gender, age, severity or duration of diabetes, weight, smoking and cholesterol levels. Researchers noted an inverse relationship between Glucophage exposure and cancer mortality (i.e., – higher doses and longer use were associated with lower cancer risk), but they also noted a trend toward lower cancer mortality even among people who took only one dose of Glucophage.
Hypothesis or Proof?
The study findings, while provocative, are not considered conclusive. Bo Ahren, MD, PhD, a professor of clinical metabolic research at Lund University in Sweden, commented to MedPage Today that he remains unconvinced that Glucophage offers protection against cancer. “I�ve seen the data,” he said. “I believe the data, but it has to be confirmed.”
The group who analyzed the data agree – noting, for instance, that they have not yet linked taking Glucophage with prevention of a particular type of cancer. Similarly, they are unprepared to suggest that Glucophage could lower the risk of cancer in non-diabetics.
“It is too early to think it (Glucophage) will become mainstream for patients to prevent cancer, but we know it has a role in pre-diabetics,” Dr. Emslie-Smith commented to MedPage Today. “If long periods of [Glucophage] are shown beneficial, then maybe that will justify using it earlier in patients at high risk.”
Sources:
EASD: Cancer Benefit Seen for Popular Diabetes Drug,
MedPage Today, 12 September 2005.
Metformin and the reduced risk of cancer in diabetic patients, Evans JMM et al., British Medical Journal, volume 330, pages 1304-1305.
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Tags: Conditions & Treatments, Glucophage (Metformin), Medications, Type 2 Diabetes