Abstract PL05-02: Current therapies for diabetes - will they reduce cancer risk?

Type 2 diabetes has been associated with an increase in the incidence and mortality from many cancers. Understanding the mechanisms underlying Type 2 diabetes, has contributed to the discovery of the potential anti-cancer effects of diabetes treatments. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia precede the development of hyperglycemia and Type 2 diabetes, and may be key factors contributing to the increased cancer risk. Other factors including hyperglycemia, steroid hormonal bioavailability (estrogen and testosterone), insulin-like growth factors, adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) and cytokines may also contribute to cancer progression in the setting of Type 2 diabetes. The main classes of pharmacological treatments for Type 2 diabetes include insulin-sensitizing therapies, insulin secretagogues, exogenous insulin and incretin based therapies. While some previous epidemiological studies suggested that exogenous insulin therapy may increase breast cancer mortality, recent human studies have not supported these findings. Our studies have shown that high doses of the insulin analogs currently in clinical use do not increase murine breast cancer growth or metastases in a mouse model of pre-diabetes. However, insulin-sensitizing therapies, including metformin and thiazolidinediones may have anti-cancer effects. One potential mechanism by which these agents may reduce tumor progression, is by improving the metabolic abnormalities associated with Type 2 diabetes; improving insulin s...
Source: Cancer Prevention Research - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Metformin Prevention and Treatment Trials: Oral Presentations - Invited Abstracts Source Type: research