title: Metformin in prostate cancer: two for the price of one.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer treatment induces a metabolic syndrome, which may contribute to non-cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Metformin may abrogate these effects. Additionally, metformin has potential antineoplastic activity in various malignancies including prostate cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review using PubMed with the keywords: AMPK, androgen deprivation therapy, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, metformin and prostate cancer was undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This overview will look at the current evidence linking ADT and metabolic syndrome while discussing ongoing clinical trials under way assessing the effectiveness of metformin in abrogating these effects. The potential antineoplastic activity of metformin, mediated by multiple proposed mechanisms based on evidence from preclinical and clinical studies, will also be elucidated in this review.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall available data support the potential dual benefit of metformin on ADT-induced metabolic syndrome and in its antineoplastic activity in prostate cancer, justifying the need for ongoing clinical trials to confirm these effects as the evidence currently available for standard practice is lacking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Cancer Care Centre, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: artclements@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Cancer Care Centre, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Cancer Care Centre, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: S H O
authors.initials: SHO
authors.lastname: Yeap
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Cancer Care Centre, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: M K Y
authors.initials: MKY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Cancer Care Centre, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Westmead Cancer Care Centre, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gurney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008687:Metformin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008687:Metformin