Caught this on News24.co.za. As a smoker (not proud) sparked my interest after reading more about metformin, wondering if it might have some benefit for us as bodybuilders as well... Also read there is some proof Green Tea taken daily has shown some preventitive properties when it comes to smokers and lung cancer....
Washington - Commonly used diabetes drugs such as metformin may help control lung cancer, and may also help prevent it, US researchers reported on Tuesday.
Patients who had taken the drugs to control diabetes were much less likely to have lung cancer spread - which is when it becomes most deadly - the researchers told a meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians.
Metformin, an older and cheaper drug available generically, had a more powerful effect than newer drugs called thiazolidinediones, TZDs or glitazones, the researchers said.
"Our study, as well as other research, suggests an association between metformin and/or TZD use and the risk of developing lung cancer," said Dr Peter Mazzone of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who led the study.
"However, unique to this study, we have been able to report less advanced cancer in those who do develop cancer, a decreased frequency of squamous cell and small cell carcinomas, and improved survival when controlled for stage in people taking metformin and/or TZDs."
The team reviewed the medical records of 157 lung cancer survivors with diabetes.
Prevention for smokers
Those who had taken either a metformin drug or a TZD were significantly less likely to have advanced lung cancer that had spread - 20% of those who took the drugs had tumours that had spread, versus 42% of those who had not.
"The initial trend we have seen is toward metformin being more protective than TZDs," Mazzone said.
TZDs include GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia, known generically as rosiglitazone, and rival drug Actos, or pioglitazone, made by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd.
Mazzone said it may be possible one day to use metformin to prevent lung cancer in smokers.
But Dr David Gutterman, president of the American College of Chest Physicians, said more research would be needed before this could be proposed.
