What about the medication Metformin?

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What about the medication Metformin?

Oncologist Charles “Snuffy” Myers Transcript

Opening Title: What about the drug Metformin?

This is a drug which was released treating diabetes in 1958. So it’s been on the market for 66 years. About 6 years ago it was shown to reduce overall cancer death rates by about 50%. The ensuing years have shown it’s active against most cancers of adult life, colon, breast, ovarian, pancreatic, head and neck cancer, and prostate. And the most impressive study I’ve seen yet on Metformin was a study on metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer, chemotherapy was the only thing remaining. And a very well done Swiss study and a routine diabetic dose was able to arrest the cancer in a sizeable number of patients and dramatically delay chemotherapy. And here’s a drug that side effects are very minimal. And diabetes and pre-diabetes is common in prostate cancer so we’ve been using Metformin to prevent diabetes.

We have randomized controlled trials now starting testing Metformin in active surveillance so the true value will only become apparent later

Closing Title: Various studies indicate Metformin may delay or slow progression of prostate cancer

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Dr. Myers discusses the use of Metformin for active surveillance patients.
Dr. Charles “Snuffy” Myers
Oncologist

Dr. Myers previously served for 10 years as Chief of the Clinical Pharmacy Branch at the National Cancer Institute. From 1994 to 2002 Dr. Myers was Director of the Cancer Center at the University of Virginia. His laboratory research at the UVA Cancer Center focused on how and why a diet high in animal fat leads to progression in prostate cancer. His research group demonstrated that a fatty acid common in meat, dairy products, and egg yolks promotes the survival and growth of human prostate cancer cells. 

In 2002 Dr. Myers established the American Institute for Diseases of the Prostate in Charlottesville, Virginia. As a patient himself and an oncologist, he provides management for prostate cancer patients who often travel to his office from throughout the U.S His Blog, Ask Dr. Myers, is widely visited.
Video reviewed and approved by Charles “Snuffy” Myers, August 1, 2015