Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31114366›Full record

ArticleCancer management and research2019

The beneficial effects of metformin on cancer prevention and therapy: a comprehensive review of recent advances.

Pouya Saraei, Ilia Asadi, Muhammad Azam Kakar, Nasroallah Moradi-Kor

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer management and research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 190 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
190citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
15.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

190 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 343 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. Metformin and colorectal cancer: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.International journal of colorectal disease · 2020 · on this map
    Pooled it
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  13. [Metformin Inhibits Prostate Cancer Progression via Regulation of the AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2026
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130 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Pouya SaraeiStudent Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Ilia AsadiStudent Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Muhammad Azam KakarDirector Planning and Development, L&DD Department, Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.
Nasroallah Moradi-KorStudent Research Committee, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Semnan University of Medical Sciences · IRUniversity of Balochistan · PK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Metformin is a widely used drug in today's prescriptions by physicians due to its specific effects in treating and curing type II diabetes. Diabetes is a common disease that may occur throughout human life, and can increase the likelihood of the occurrence of various types of cancer, such as colon, rectum, pancreas and liver cancers, compared to non-diabetic patients. Metformin inhibits mTOR activity by activating ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) and LKB1 (liver kinase B1) and then adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK), and thus prevents protein synthesis and cell growth. Metformin can activate p53 by activating AMPK and thereby ultimately stop the cell cycle. Given the potential of metformin in the treatment of cancer, it can be used in radiotherapy, chemotherapy and to improve the response to treatment in androgen derivatives (ADT), and also, according to available evidence, metformin can also be used to prevent various types of cancers. Generally, metformin can: 1) reduce the incidence of cancers, 2) reduce the mortality from cancers, 3) increase the response to treatment in cancer cells when using radiotherapy and chemotherapy, 4) optimize tumor movement and reduce the malignancy, 5) reduce the likelihood of relapse, and 6) reduce the damaging effects of ADT. Therefore, this drug can be used as a complementary therapeutic agent for cancer treatment and prevention. In this review, we have summarized the data from various experimental and clinical studies and highlight the possible potential effects of metformin on cancer therapeutic responses.

Indexed as

AMPK pathwayLKB1metforminmTOR pathwayprevention and treatment of cancerradiation

Identifiers

PMID31114366
PMCPMC6497052
OpenAlexW2937270878

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.