Of Prostate Cancer, Glucose, Metabolism and Metformin

A study conducted by Canadian investigators and reported in the September 1, 2013 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology examined the impact of Metformin use on mortality in men with diabetes and prostate cancer (Margel D. Urbach DR., Lipscombe LL, Metformin Use and All-Cause and Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality Among Men with Diabetes, Journal of Clinical Oncology, volume 31, #25, pgs 3069-3075, 2013). The investigators examined 3837 patient with a median age of 75 years. They conducted a retrospective analysis examining the Ontario Province heath care records. The intent was to examine duration of exposure to Metformin as a diabetes management in patients with prostate cancer to assess the impact on all-cause and prostate cancer-specific mortality.

The results are impressive and instructive. There was a significant decrease in the risk of prostate cancer-specific and all-cause mortality, which related to the dose and duration of exposure to Metformin. The adjusted hazard ratio for the study of 0.76 indicates that there is a 24% reduction in mortality for prostate cancer-specific events with the use of Metformin. This study was not perfect, as it was retrospective, there was no randomization and it was impossible to control for all other variables such as exercise, smoking history and clinical parameters of prostate cancer. Nonetheless, there is a clear and important trend toward reduced prostate cancer and even overall mortality. This is but one of a series of clinical studies that have examined the impact of Metformin upon not only prostate cancer but also breast cancer. Much of this work was originally pioneered by Dr. Michael Pollack from McGill University in Montreal.

The biguanide class of antidiabetic drugs, originates from the French lilac or goat’s rue (Galega officinalis). (Wikipedia)

Metformin and the closely related Phenformin are members of the class of drugs known as biguanides. While the exact mode of action of the biguanides is not fully understood, they are known to disrupt mitochondrial respiration at complex I. This upregulates an enzyme known as adenosine monophosphate kinase (AMPK) thereby altering energy metabolism within the cell and down regulating mTOR. In diabetics, this drives down blood glucose to control the disease. However, in cancer patients, a profound effect is observed that suppresses synthetic pathways necessary for energy metabolism, cellular survival and cellular proliferation. These effects appear responsible for the impact upon prostate cancer. Interestingly, these drugs are more effective in controlling already transformed cells and less effective in the prevention of cancer. This is consistent with the observation that malignantly transformed cells change their state of metabolism.

This article is interesting on many levels. The first and most obvious is that this relatively inexpensive and well-tolerated drug can have an impact on prostate cancer.

Secondly, these effects appear to cross the lines of different cancer types, such that breast cancer and other forms of cancer might also be successfully treated.

The third note of interest shows that even patients without diabetes can tolerate Metformin, suggesting this as an adjunct to many different treatments. Finally and most importantly this represents the new and important recognition that cancer is not a genomic disorder, but a metabolic disorder. Cancer may utilize normal genetic elements to its own advantage. AMP kinase, LKB1 and mTOR are not unique to cancer, but instead, are found in every cell. These normal proteins are simply altered in their function in malignantly transformed cells. Metformin is one of what will soon be a large number of metabolomic agents entering the clinical arena as cancer research moves from the nucleus to the mitochondrion.