Role of metformin and other metabolic drugs in the prevention and therapy of endocrine-related cancers
Antonio J. León‐González, Juan M. Jiménez‐Vacas, Antonio C. Fuentes-Fayos, André Sarmento‐Cabral, Aura D. Herrera‐Martínez, Manuel D. Gahete, Raúl M. Luque
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome is associated with chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. This review summarizes the current evidence on the antitumor effects of some relevant drugs currently used to manage metabolic-related pathologies (i.e. insulin and its analogs, metformin, statins, etc.) in endocrine-related cancers including breast cancer, prostate cancer, pituitary cancer, ovarian cancer, and neuroendocrine neoplasms. Although current evidence does not provide a clear antitumor role of several of these drugs, metformin seems to be a promising chemopreventive and adjuvant agent in cancer management, modulating tumor cell metabolism and microenvironment, through both AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Moreover, its combination with statins might represent a promising therapeutic strategy to tackle the progression of endocrine-related tumors. However, further studies are needed to endorse the clinical relevance of these drugs as adjuvants for cancer chemotherapy.