SynthesisCancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.)2026
Association Between Metformin Use and Risk of Lung Cancer in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.), 2026. The graph read 4 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 4 associations that do not count as treatment evidence, such as HR 0.85 (0.77 to 0.94) for lung cancer risk. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
RESULTS: The pooled analysis of 29 observational studies showed a significant reduction in lung cancer risk among Metformin users compared with nonusers (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: [0.77-0.94], p = 0.002).
Extended Metformin use (> 3 years) was associated with a significant reduction in lung cancer risk (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: [0.79-0.95]; p < 0.01), whereas no significant effect was observed for shorter durations.
Subgroup analyses revealed significant associations in cohort studies (HR: 0.79, 95% CI: [0.70-0.89], p < 0.01) and in studies conducted in Asia (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: [0.68-0.99], p = 0.04).
Subgroup analyses revealed significant associations in cohort studies (HR: 0.79, 95% CI: [0.70-0.89], p < 0.01) and in studies conducted in Asia (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: [0.68-0.99], p = 0.04).
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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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.
BACKGROUND AND
aimLung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the most prevalent endocrine disorder, is commonly managed with Metformin, an antidiabetic medication that has demonstrated potential anticancer properties. This meta-analysis aimed to discover the association between Metformin use and the risk of lung cancer in patients with T2DM.
methodsA comprehensive search of online databases was conducted up to January 1, 2026, to identify relevant observational studies. After screening, appropriate data were extracted. Meta-analyses utilized the most fully adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) as the effect measures. All statistical analyses were performed using R Statistical Software.
resultsThe pooled analysis of 29 observational studies showed a significant reduction in lung cancer risk among Metformin users compared with nonusers (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: [0.77-0.94], p = 0.002). Subgroup analyses revealed significant associations in cohort studies (HR: 0.79, 95% CI: [0.70-0.89], p < 0.01) and in studies conducted in Asia (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: [0.68-0.99], p = 0.04). Extended Metformin use (> 3 years) was associated with a significant reduction in lung cancer risk (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: [0.79-0.95]; p < 0.01), whereas no significant effect was observed for shorter durations.
conclusionThis meta-analysis indicated a potential protective effect of Metformin use in individuals with T2DM against lung cancer, with a significant risk reduction observed, particularly among long-term users and in Asian populations. The significant associations identified in cohort studies and in extended-duration use underscore metformin's promise in lung cancer prevention.
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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.