Korean J Helicobacter Up Gastrointest Res.
2017 Dec;17(4):179-184. 10.7704/kjhugr.2017.17.4.179.
Chemoprevention of Gastric Cancer: Metformin
- Affiliations
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- 1Center for Gastric Cancer, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea. crystal522@ncc.re.kr
- KMID: 2397491
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.7704/kjhugr.2017.17.4.179
Abstract
- Metformin is a first-line anti-diabetic drug that has been widely used in patients with type 2 diabetes. Many population-based epidemiologic studies have shown that metformin treatment is associated with decreased risk for various cancers. Recent epidemiologic studies showed that the use of metformin was associated with a reduction in gastric cancer risk, especially in patients with type 2 diabetes who used metformin for long periods of time (>2~3 years). Currently, there are no registered clinical trials investigating the anti-cancer effect of metformin in gastric cancer; hence, further well-designed clinical trials are required. Herein, we review the literature regarding the use of metformin for the prevention of gastric cancer.
