Evidence mapPaperPMID 41988534Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in pharmacology2026

Efficacy of metformin as an adjuvant therapy in gynecologic malignancies: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Shasha Zhang, Bin Chen, Xia Hu, Shiquan Hu, Yang Li, Jinbiao Han

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

6 authors.

Shasha ZhangDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Bin ChenKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China.
Xia HuKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China.
Shiquan HuKey Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China.
Yang LiDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Meishan Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Meishan, Sichuan, China.
Jinbiao HanDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Gynecologic malignancies, such as cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers, are among the most prevalent and lethal cancers in women worldwide. Preclinical and epidemiological studies suggest that metformin may exert antitumor effects. However, its clinical efficacy in gynecologic malignancies remains uncertain. Hence, exploring the effects of metformin in prolonging progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in gynecological malignancies is crucial for guiding future clinical practice. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to assess the effect of metformin combined with standard therapy on PFS and OS in individuals with gynecologic malignancies. Methods: Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and PubMed were searched from database inception to 13 June 2025. RCTs meeting predefined PICOS criteria were included. Two investigators independently screened the studies, extracted data, and assessed the quality of eligible studies. Stata 15.1 was utilized to carry out meta-analyses, and random- or fixed-effects models were selected according to I Results: Five RCTs involving 705 patients were included. The overall analyses demonstrated that metformin combined with standard therapy did not significantly improve PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-1.03, I Conclusion: Current evidence from RCTs demonstrates that metformin combined with standard therapy can not significantly improve PFS or OS in individuals with gynecologic malignancies. Further larger, multicenter, long-term RCTs are warranted to evaluate the potential benefits of metformin in individuals with metabolic abnormalities and its combined use with novel therapies. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier, CRD2025105994.

Indexed as

gynecologic malignanciesmetforminoverall survivalprogression-free survivalrandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID41988534
PMCPMC13076540

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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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.