Impact of Metformin Use and Diabetic Status During Adjuvant Fluoropyrimidine‐Oxaliplatin Chemotherapy on the Outcome of Patients with Resected Colon Cancer: A TOSCA Study Subanalysis

Conclusions.Metformin use and T2DM did not impact on OS or RFS in patients with resected CC treated with adjuvant fluoropyrimidine‐oxaliplatin chemotherapy. Larger studies and longer follow‐up are required to clarify the potential efficacy of metformin in improving the prognosis of patients with CC.Implications for Practice.The role of the antidiabetic drug metformin in colon cancer prevention and treatment is highly debated. While low‐dose metformin reduced the incidence of colorectal adenomas in two prospective studies, its effect in patients with already established colon cancer remains unclear. In this study, the potential impact of metformin on the survival of resected colon cancer patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy was investigated in the context of the TOSCA study. We did not find any association between metformin use or dosages and patient survival. Prospective studies are required to draw definitive conclusions about metformin impact on colon cancer recurrence and survival.

Source: The Oncologist - March 12, 2019 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Claudio Vernieri, Fabio Galli, Laura Ferrari, Paolo Marchetti, Sara Lonardi, Evaristo Maiello, Rosario V. Iaffaioli, Maria G. Zampino, Alberto Zaniboni, Sabino De Placido, Maria Banzi, Azzurra Damiani, Daris Ferrari, Gerardo Rosati, Roberto F. Labianca, P Tags: Gastrointestinal Cancer Source Type: research