Purpose: Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) presents a higher incidence rate in Taiwan compared to Western societies. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of metformin in improving survival outcomes for patients with UTUC in Taiwan.
Material And Methods: This retrospective study included 940 patients with UTUC and type 2 diabetes from the Taiwan UTUC Collaboration Group, spanning 21 hospitals from July 1988 to September 2023. Patients were divided into two groups: those treated with metformin (n = 215) and those without metformin treatment (n = 725). Parameters analyzed included age, BMI, renal function, tumor grade and location, and pathological staging. Oncological outcomes measured were overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and bladder recurrence-free survival (BRFS). Statistical analysis involved the use of Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney test, Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, and Cox proportional hazard regression.
Results: Significant differences were observed between the two groups in BMI, preoperative creatinine, eGFR, tumor location, tumor laterality, tumor size, and pathological grade and T stage. Patients treated with metformin exhibited a lower risk of CSS (HR = 0.619; p = 0.018) and improved OS (HR = 0.713; p = 0.024), although no significant association was found with BRFS (HR = 1.034; p = 0.791). The protective effect of metformin on OS was particularly significant in patients with advanced T stage, metastasis, and high-grade tumors.
Conclusion: The study suggests that metformin use in UTUC patients with diabetes is associated with improved OS and CSS but not BRFS. The underlying mechanisms warrant further investigation. Repurposing metformin, a well-established and safe drug, may develop new therapeutic strategies for UTUC.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11702374 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cam4.70567 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Metformin use and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma outcomes: a narrative review.
ANZ J Surg
January 2025
Department of Surgery, Western Health, St. Albans, Victoria, Australia.
Background: Metformin is a diabetes medication with anti-mitotic properties. A narrative review was performed to investigate people using metformin and the risk of developing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) as well as survival outcomes in established PDAC.
Methods: Relevant studies on metformin use and PDAC were retrieved from PubMed including observational studies on metformin and the risk of developing PDAC and survival outcomes in PDAC, and randomized controlled trials of metformin as a treatment in PDAC.
Alopecia Management Potential of Rosemary-Based Nanoemulgel Loaded with Metformin: Approach Combining Active Essential Oil and Repurposed Drug.
Int J Nanomedicine
January 2025
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon.
Introduction: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a multifactorial and age-related dermatological disease that affects both males and females, usually at older ages. Traditional hair repair drugs exemplified by minoxidil have limitations such as skin irritation and hypertrichosis. Thus, attention has been shifted to the use of repurposing drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnveiling the impacts of metformin on hepatocellular carcinoma: A bioinformatic exploration in cell lines.
Narra J
December 2024
Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Riau, Pekanbaru, Indonesia.
The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), accounting for 75-85% of cases. Despite its associated side effects, sorafenib remains the standard treatment for HCC. Given the critical need to improve therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects, alternative drugs must be thoroughly investigated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMitochondria and the Repurposing of Diabetes Drugs for Off-Label Health Benefits.
Int J Mol Sci
January 2025
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
This review describes our current understanding of the role of the mitochondria in the repurposing of the anti-diabetes drugs metformin, gliclazide, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and SGLT2 inhibitors for additional clinical benefits regarding unhealthy aging, long COVID, mental neurogenerative disorders, and obesity. Metformin, the most prominent of these diabetes drugs, has been called the "Drug of Miracles and Wonders," as clinical trials have found it to be beneficial for human patients suffering from these maladies. To promote viral replication in all infected human cells, SARS-CoV-2 stimulates the infected liver cells to produce glucose and to export it into the blood stream, which can cause diabetes in long COVID patients, and metformin, which reduces the levels of glucose in the blood, was shown to cut the incidence rate of long COVID in half for all patients recovering from SARS-CoV-2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRepurposing of Metabolic Drugs Metformin and Simvastatin as an Emerging Class of Cancer Therapeutics.
Pharm Res
January 2025
Department of Urology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
Metabolic alterations are commonly associated with various cancers and are recognized as contributing factors to cancer progression, invasion, and metastasis. Drug repurposing, a strategy in drug discovery, utilizes existing knowledge to recommend established drugs for new indications based on clinical data or biological evidence. This approach is considered a less risky alternative to traditional drug development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!