Researchers discover a key to the survival of dormant breast cancer cells

(Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center) Trying to understand why dormant breast cancer cells survive despite being starved of estrogen to prevent growth, researchers from Dartmouth's and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center found that breakdown of fat to produce energy supports cancer cell survival. This type of fat metabolism is activated by metformin, an anti-diabetes drug being tested in clinical trials as an anti-cancer agent. Their findings suggest that metformin actually has context-dependent effects on cancer cells.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news