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Diabetes drug costing just 2p could beat prostate cancer by shrinking tumours

by

By
Pat Hagan


PUBLISHED:

16:40 EST, 15 July 2012

|

UPDATED:

21:16 EST, 15 July 2012

A diabetes drug costing as  little as 2p a tablet could offer a major breakthrough in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Research has shown that the medicine, called metformin, causes tumours to shrink by slowing the rate at which cancerous cells grow.

If the results are confirmed in bigger  trials, it raises the possibility that men could be given the cheap, readily available drug as soon as they are diagnosed.

Hope for the future: Diabetes drug metformin, which costs as little as 2p a tablet, could offer a major breakthrough in the treatment of prostate cancer

Hope for the future: Diabetes drug metformin, which
costs as little as 2p a tablet, could offer a major breakthrough in the
treatment of prostate cancer

Nearly 40,000 cases of prostate
cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK and 10,000 men die from it –
the equivalent of more than one an hour.

The risks of developing a tumour increase with age, and there is a strong genetic element to the disease.

Metformin is widely used on the NHS to treat patients with type 2 diabetes.

But
recent studies highlighting the drug’s effects against a variety of
tumours have generated considerable excitement among cancer researchers
looking for  powerful new treatments.

Last year, scientists discovered  it could slash the risk of ovarian cancer by around 40 per cent.

And
Cancer Research UK is currently funding a major five-year study,
involving early 5,000 British women with breast cancer, to see if the
drug will stop the disease returning and boost survival rates.

Other
research teams around the world are investigating metformin’s powers
against skin, lung and pancreatic cancer, with promising early results.

In
the latest breakthrough, doctors at the Princess Margaret Hospital in
Toronto, Canada, tested the drug on 22 men after they noticed that it
stunted prostate cancer cell growth in laboratory experiments.

All of the men had been diagnosed with tumours and were due to undergo surgery to have their prostates removed.

For
six weeks before their operation, each one took 500mg of metformin
three times a day, during which time researchers measured the rate at
which the tumour cells multiplied.

The
results, presented at the recent American Association for Cancer
Research annual meeting in Chicago, showed malignant cells grew at a
significantly slower rate once the men were put on the drug, suggesting
metformin might be able to keep tumours under control.

The
findings support a 2009 study which found that men taking metformin
every day to control their diabetes were up to 44 per cent less likely
to develop prostate cancer.

Dr
Anthony Joshua, a cancer specialist who carried out the latest study,
said: ‘We compared what the prostate cancer looked like when  it was
first diagnosed to what it looked like when it was removed.

‘And although these are preliminary results, it appeared to reduce the growth rate of prostate cancer in a proportion of men.’

Metformin
works by reducing the amount of glucose produced by  the liver and
helping cells mop up sugar that is circulating in the bloodstream,
preventing damage from excessive blood sugar levels.

At about £30 per patient per year – or just 6p to 8p a day – it could be a highly cost-effective way to tackle prostate tumours.

Eleanor
Barrie, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information officer, said:
‘Larger trials will tell us more in the next few years.’

…AND SPINACH ‘WILL HELP PROTECT YOUR LIVER’

Scientists have revealed a new secret weapon in the battle against liver cancer: spinach.

Munching on Popeye’s favourite snack can slash the likelihood of developing the disease, which is the third most common cause of cancer deaths in the world.

Boffins claim high levels of Vitamin E in the leafy green vegetable help stave off the illness, along with other foods including nuts, sunflower seeds, avocados and dried apricots.

Eat your greens: Popeye's favourite food is proven to protect your liver against cancer

Eat yer greens: Popeye’s favourite food can protect your liver from cancer

The vitamin has long been associated with a reduced risk of cancer although results from studies have proved inconsistent.

Now new research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute claims a high consumption of Vitamin E through diet or supplements DOES affect risk levels.

Wei Zhang of the Shanghai Cancer Institute worked with colleagues to analyse results of the dietary habits of 132,837 people in Shanghai.

They found that those who had a high intake of the vitamin had a lower risk of developing the disease when compared to those who had a low intake.

‘In summary, in these two population-based cohort studies of 132,837 women and men, we found that high intake of vitamin E either from diet or supplements was related to lower risk of liver cancer in middle-aged or older people from China,’ the authors of the study wrote.

‘If confirmed, these findings could open a new venue for prevention of liver cancer, the third most common cause of death worldwide.’

In the study, researchers analysed data from 132,837 people in China who were enrolled in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study and the Shanghai Men’s Health Study.

The participants had enrolled in their programmes – jointly conducted by the Shanghai Cancer Institute and Vanderbilt University – between 1997 and 2006.

They completed questionnaires and underwent in-person interviews so researchers could meticulously detail their dietary habits.

Researchers compared the liver cancer risk of participants who had a high intake of Vitamin E with those who did not.

Of the patients, 118 woman and 149 men were diagnosed with liver cancer between two and 11 years after starting the study.

Taking vitamin E in supplements and also dietary form were both associated with a lower risk of the cancer – and was consistent in those who had a family history of liver cancer.

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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I know it’s completely irrelevant to the topic of this article but….I’ve never seen five o’clock shadow on a tummy before.

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Doubly good for those who suffer from diabetes and prostate trouble.

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I recall having to take a tablet and it was discovered that a beneficial side effect was that it helped some bald men to start growing new hair. The phamaceutical company then decided to introduce another version under the name of ‘regain’ with different packaging and promptly charged more than 5 times the price for it! They did no research at all for it however we all know that often the companies state that researching a product cost a lot of money!!

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cannabis oil works well and with no side affects…..goggle….run from the cure
– “John#32, trat, 16/7/2012 03:41==== funny you are getting red arrows for telling the truth is it not?

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Will this be prescribed in the same way that Statins are ?
One a day for everybody as a health ‘precaution’ and not cure ?

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I have beentaking 500mg of metformin three times a day for years but still my prostate cancer is returning. Think again the side effects of Metformin can be pretyy devastating.

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What is all this blather about? Metformin is and has been the standard treatment in the UK for type 2 diabetes for years. By the way DM in your picture you show capsules not tablets, do try to get some things correct.

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My husband has been taking Metformin for years, and still developed prostate cancer!

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Can’t get approved for use in the UK fast enough.

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ahhh, the pharmaceutical companies wont like this one!! – not sure who i am half the time!, Or Where!, 16/07/2012 00:30. . I work for pharmaceutical companies and you couldn’t be more wrong. We would love to see an end to disease – wouldn’t it be great if we could all live forever. If that happened, we would happily give up our jobs and use our abilities to do other things.

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