Common diabetes drug fights certain cancers
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(STUDY FINDS) – Does a popular diabetes drug actually help fight cancer, or is it just a myth? Researchers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center are finally shedding some much-needed light on the effect of the drug metformin on various forms of cancer. While it’s typically a prescription for patients with diabetes or prediabetes, study authors have found new evidence revealing the drug is indeed capable of stopping the progression of certain prostate cancers.
Ever since a 2005 study reported that diabetes patients taking metformin displayed lower rates of cancer, oncologists have theorized it may be possible to use this inexpensive, safe, and widely used drug to prevent or hinder the development of cancerous tumors. However, studies conducted since then focusing on prostate cancer and metformin have produced mixed results. Some found a lower incidence of prostate cancer among men using metformin, but others found no such relationship.
Metformin works by lowering blood sugar levels by helping the body’s cells use insulin more effectively. It also has a number of other beneficial effects, including reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
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