Title |
Metformin in breast cancer - an evolving mystery
|
---|---|
Published in |
Breast Cancer Research, June 2015
|
DOI | 10.1186/s13058-015-0598-8 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Laura Camacho, Atreyi Dasgupta, Sao Jiralerspong |
Abstract |
Metformin, a diabetes drug with well-established side effect and safety profiles, has been widely studied for its anti-tumor activities in a number of cancers, including breast cancer. But its mechanism of action in the clinical arena remains elusive. In a window of opportunity trial of metformin in non-diabetic breast cancer patients, Dowling and colleagues examined both the direct actions of the drug on cancer cells (as mediated by AMP kinase), as well as its indirect actions (as mediated by circulating insulin). The data suggest that short-term administration of metformin in this setting has anti-tumor effects significantly involving the indirect, insulin-dependent pathway. The role of the direct pathway remains to be determined. This study represents an important step forward in establishing one of several possible mechanisms for metformin, information that will be useful in determining candidate biomarkers to evaluate in large clinical trials of metformin, such as the ongoing NCIC CTG MA.32 trial of adjuvant metformin. The potential significance of these data for metformin in the treatment of breast cancer is discussed here. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Romania | 1 | 11% |
Malaysia | 1 | 11% |
United States | 1 | 11% |
Unknown | 6 | 67% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 4 | 44% |
Members of the public | 4 | 44% |
Scientists | 1 | 11% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 2 | 2% |
France | 1 | <1% |
Chile | 1 | <1% |
India | 1 | <1% |
Finland | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 95 | 94% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 21 | 21% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 14 | 14% |
Student > Master | 12 | 12% |
Other | 9 | 9% |
Student > Bachelor | 7 | 7% |
Other | 22 | 22% |
Unknown | 16 | 16% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 29 | 29% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 20 | 20% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 17 | 17% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 4 | 4% |
Chemistry | 3 | 3% |
Other | 7 | 7% |
Unknown | 21 | 21% |