Evaluation of metformin in early breast cancer: a modification of the traditional paradigm for clinical testing of anti-cancer agents

Metformin, an inexpensive oral agent commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, has been garnering increasing attention as a potential anti-cancer agent. Preclinical, epidemiologic, and clinical evidences suggest that metformin may reduce overall cancer risk and mortality, with specific effects in brea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Breast cancer research and treatment 2011-02, Vol.126 (1), p.215-220
Main Authors: Goodwin, Pamela J, Stambolic, Vuk, Lemieux, Julie, Chen, Bingshu E, Parulekar, Wendy R, Gelmon, Karen A, Hershman, Dawn L, Hobday, Timothy J, Ligibel, Jennifer A, Mayer, Ingrid A, Pritchard, Kathleen I, Whelan, Timothy J, Rastogi, Priya, Shepherd, Lois E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjuvant
Antimitotic agents
Antineoplastic agents
Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Breast cancer
breast neoplasms
Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy
Breast Neoplasms - pathology
Brief Report
Cancer
Cancer research
Cancer therapies
Care and treatment
Clinical testing
Clinical trials
Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy
Drug approval
Drug therapy
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Female
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Health aspects
Humans
Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use
Mammary gland diseases
Medical colleges
Medical sciences
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Metformin
Metformin - therapeutic use
Mortality
Oncology
Pharmacology
Prescription drugs
Prevention
Prognosis
Research methodology
Tumors
Type 2 diabetes
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Summary:Metformin, an inexpensive oral agent commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, has been garnering increasing attention as a potential anti-cancer agent. Preclinical, epidemiologic, and clinical evidences suggest that metformin may reduce overall cancer risk and mortality, with specific effects in breast cancer. The extensive clinical experience with metformin, coupled with its known (and modest) toxicity, has allowed the traditional process of drug evaluation to be shortened. We review the rationale for a modified approach to evaluation and outline the key steps that will optimize development of this agent in breast cancer, including discussion of a Phase III adjuvant trial (NCIC MA.32) that has recently been initiated.
ISSN:0167-6806
1573-7217
DOI:10.1007/s10549-010-1224-1