[donocco]

Ive read about Metformin and cancer. The inhibition of M-Tor is one mechanism of anticancer action. There seems to be another. Metformin, by inhibiting certain enzymes indirectly inhibits an enzyme with a very long name: Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Apparently this Enzyme is a key enzyme in the Gluconeogenesis pathway. Cancer cells are sugar hungry because they metabolize sugar inefficiently in an anaerobic manner. They produce a lot of lactic acid by this anaerobic sugar metabolism and this lactic acid is converted back to glucose via the gluconeogenesis pathway. If this pathway could be inhibited it stands to reason that this would be therapeutically beneficial in cancer treatment in combination with other modalities. Metformin seems to do this, at least to some degree. It would make sense for a doctor to prescribe it for oncology patients.

Its an antidiabetic drug, but it doesnt lower blood sugar directly like Insulin or Diabeta does. There is little danger of hypoglycemia when given alone. Practically none. It can cause serious lactic acidosis but that only seems to occur with decreased renal function. It is effective in diabetes because it inhibits gluconeogenesis and prevents glucose release from the liver and gluconeogenesis is what you want to inhibit in cancer.

Paul