SynthesisBMC gastroenterology2023
The relationship between the use of metformin and the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC gastroenterology, 2023. The graph read 3 numbers from its abstract, feeding 1 cell of the map, but none could be read as for or against, so it casts no vote. It also reports 3 associations that do not count as treatment evidence, such as OR 2.19 (1.08 to 4.44) for risk of pancreatic cancer. Cited by 17 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
Read, but not usablea number the graph found but could not read as for or against
However, compared with no drugs or only diet therapy, metformin users might increase the risk of pancreatic cancer (OR = 2.19, 95% CI (1.08, 4.44)).
Overall analysis showed that compared with no use of metformin, the use of metformin could reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes (OR = 0.82, 95% CI (0.69, 0.98)).
Subgroup analysis showed that compared with the use of hypoglycemic drugs, the use of metformin could reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes (OR = 0.79, 95% CI (0.66, 0.94)).
clause the extractor read what became the number
Where it lands on the map
Rows are treatments, columns are outcomes. The coloured squares are the cells this paper feeds, coloured by the vote it casts there. Click one to jump to what this paper adds to it.
What it adds to each cell
For every cell the paper feeds: the belief in the claim with and without this paper, and this paper's estimate drawn against every other readable study in the cell. The ringed dot is this paper.
Metformin×adverse events & safety
No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →22 readable studies in this cell: 9 favour the treatment, 8 find no difference, 5 favour the comparator.
This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.
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.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- Do We Have Enough Evidence That Metformin Is Superior to Other Antidiabetic Drugs in Pancreatic Cancer Risk Reduction?International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Preventive and Therapeutic effects of Metformin in Cancer: A Meta- Analysis of RCT and Cohort Studies.Current cancer drug targets · 2026Pooled it
- Metformin: A Dual-Role Player in Cancer Treatment and Prevention: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of metformin on melanoma: a meta-analysis and systematic review.Frontiers in oncology · 2024Pooled it
- Article
- Metformin suppresses MEN1-associated pancreatic and pituitary neuroendocrine tumors: evidence from mouse models and clinical data.Endocrine-related cancer · 2026Article
- Metformin reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances prognosis in invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with diabetes mellitus.Journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2025Article
- Pancreatic Cancer and Diabetes: Insights, Hypotheses, and Next Steps.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Prediction of Pancreatic Cancer Risk in Patients with New-Onset Diabetes.Visceral medicine · 2025Review
- The exposome as a target for primary prevention and a tool for early detection of pancreatic cancer.Best practice & research. Clinical gastroenterology · 2025Review
- Real-world evidence on the association of novel antidiabetic medication use with cancer risk and protective effects: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Therapeutic advances in drug safety · 2025Article
- The SARIFA biomarker in the context of basic research of lipid-driven cancers.NPJ precision oncology · 2024Review
- Metformin: A Dual-Role Player in Cancer Treatment and Prevention.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Role of SGLT2 Inhibitors, DPP-4 Inhibitors, and Metformin in Pancreatic Cancer Prevention.Cancers · 2024Review
- Global Burden of Pancreatic Cancer Attributable to High Body-Mass Index in 204 Countries and Territories, 1990-2019.Cancers · 2024Article
- Targeting the Metabolic Paradigms in Cancer and Diabetes.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Diabetes Mellitus in Pancreatic Cancer: A Distinct Approach to Older Subjects with New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus.Cancers · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.
objectiveWe aim to evaluate the relationship between the use of metformin and the risk of pancreatic cancer in type 2 diabetes patients.
methodWe systematically searched the observational studies on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, clinicalrials.gov, and CNKI databases, extracted relevant data, combined the OR value and 95% CI using the random effect model, and conducted a sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, and meta-regression to evaluate the size and stability of this relationship.
resultTwenty-nine studies from twenty-four articles met our inclusion criteria, including more than 2 million subjects. Overall analysis showed that compared with no use of metformin, the use of metformin could reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes (OR = 0.82, 95% CI (0.69, 0.98)). Subgroup analysis showed that compared with the use of hypoglycemic drugs, the use of metformin could reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes (OR = 0.79, 95% CI (0.66, 0.94)). However, compared with no drugs or only diet therapy, metformin users might increase the risk of pancreatic cancer (OR = 2.19, 95% CI (1.08, 4.44)). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the study, and there was no significant publication bias.
conclusionCompared with the no-use of metformin, metformin users with diabetes can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer. More research is needed to prove it works.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.