Metformin (GlucoPhage) Cancer and the FDA.

reply to post by ANOMALY502


No not off topic at all. Maybe ask your dr for the extended release type. I found a topic on it that might help. Forum about Metformin stomach problems It does tend to go over time and is also depending on the type you take. I have had a bit of stomach upsets myself but that has mostly gone. I would stick with it as the benefits outweigh the cons in my view.

I read this again and I must say I am at a loss why there is not more discussion here on the facts that I presented. I am still taking Metformin. I upped the dose to three times a day. I take it with every meal now. I have a few side effects, gut wise, but other than that I feel okay. I am still in two minds whether or not I should go for Chemo now or wait. I have very good days but also days that are not so great. I have increased my vitamin C intake and also my Vitamin B intake to counter the Metformin problem of vit B deficiency. I am also eating Blueberries crushed with flaxseed every day.

Now for the material I've presented, I have a question. Is there a way to find out when Merck lost the world patent on Glucophage?

Hey Dude,
Thanks for posting all your research. Most excellent! You might enjoy a book I read a while back called Quantum Healing by Deepak Chopra. There quite a few people who hate the guy apparently (maybe because he's kinda new age-y?), but he presents some really neat research related to illness in general and cancers specifically. The basic gist is that spontaneous remissions are far more probably if you have a good attitude, do some meditation, make sure to eat very healthy, and most importantly, visualize the cancer being healed. Just throwing that out there really quick - I really enjoyed the book (though I haven't read anything else by the man).

There was another great cancer thread a while back which was called Cures for Cancer A to Z or something similar. It was so well researched I even saved it all to my computer - it went through TONS of natural and non-patentable veritable miracle cures for various cancers which get zero attention or research or product created because there is no money in them - just like Metformin.

I bring that up because this isn't just a conspiracy with Metformin. It's a planned obsolescence of human life type conspiracy! The FDA and its buddy corporations don't give a crap about our health, they just want cash fast. It's painfully clear, and not just with cancer, but will ALL ailments. I wish there was something I could do. The best I can think of is to sign online petitions and crap like that, and most importantly to talk to people and try to get them thinking about the BS society we live in today. THANK YOU for providing some truths and exposing some lies - this is really freaking important stuff and I feel like most of the country has no idea what is going on and don't care to either.

Best of vibes to you, dude!

HI, my prayers are with you and your family.

My Grandpa is on Metform, he has had Prostrate cancer for several years. At first it was like hearing a death sentence , that and he does have mild diabetes...

He had rheumatoid flair ups as well, his DR. finally put him on Metform a few years ago, he did not have chemo, but his PSA count has been zero for a couple years now.

I never thought about it but it could have been the Metform which has kept his Cancer in remission. I will double check the dosage and get back to you asap. I fill out his pill caddy weekly and know that he takes it in the am and pm. Big white pill.

I have also given him another thing which I do recommend to you, and that is D3-50 with K2 and B-complex. He takes his multi and I believe it does help him. He is 95 and fit as a fiddle.

Just a word of caution. Be well versed on the side effects of Metformin. Do not hesitate to quit their use if you feel sicker than you usually do...for as useful as Metformin appears to be, all medications, whether regular pharmaceuticals or homeopathic and can react negatively with current meds.

I too have cancer, metastasized from breast cancer to bone, as well as early type II diabetes. Metformin could possibly be a help to my situation in more ways than one...but then I chose not to use it, as I have several of the risks listed that are contra indicated to use Metformin safely...LOL...talk about the Fates...

More power to you. Do what you feel you must. Another help, remember that keeping your system alkaline and less acid will also help the cancer. Cancer does not like an alkaline body. A teaspoon of raw apple cider vinager daily is a simple beginning.

~as above, so below~

reply to post by Lebowski achiever


Thanks for this thread, this infomation. I clicked into the thread with trepidation, I was sure you were going to say that there is a link between getting cancer and taking metformin. Instead you have made me feel better about the prescription regimen I am on. I take 2000 miligrams daily of metformin, quite honestly it changed my life. I immediately felt better when I started taking it. I was having dizziness, headaches daily, heart palps, I was becoming diabetic and really feeling the effects of it. 24 hours after my first dose, I was more surefooted, losing the vertigo and dizziness. I did go though a time when it returned, but they uped my dose to 2000 and I have done very well at that dosage. Finding out that it also staves off cancer, that is a real bonus, as I am sure you are aware.
As far as prices go, I have no idea what it costs. I don't pay for my prescriptions. I am lucky enough to live in a county that provides a clinic service here, part of what they do is apply for you to the drug companies, and get you your meds free. I work, but my job offers no insurance, and I don't make enough to buy it privately. This clinic works with people in my situation. They mail me 90 day supplies at a time. But this is also something your doctor can do for you. If you are having trouble paying for your meds, ask your doc about applying to the drug companies for help.

reply to post by antar


Wow, that's great info! This is the kind of thing that gives me hope and you can never have enough hope! Thank you so much.

reply to post by space cadet

Luckily I am not having trouble paying for my meds. However, I think that if people do have problems it is outrageous as this drug should not be so expensive. Good luck to you as well and have some assurance that Cancer may never be in your life if you take this.

reply to post by Holly N.R.A.


I am so sorry to hear that. Are you reconsidering taking Metformin?

reply to post by tetsuo


Thanks Tetsuo. I have that A-Z Cancer Cure thread bookmarked.

reply to post by Lebowski achiever


I'm sorry to hear of your plight and I wish you all the very very best in beating this disease.

Thanking you for all your information...

I have two people very close to me also fighting cancer; one with prostate cancer and the other with lung cancer.

I'm going to keep a very close watch on your thread; hope you don't mind I come for the ride as you post your updates.

Stay positive; us readers are with you all the way!

reply to post by bluemirage5


Please feel free to hop in any time and let me know what you think of the info. I hope this proves helpful.

Did your doctor agree to prescribe metformin to you? Or do you have to take your partners?
I'm just curious does your partner have enough to supply you and themselves with a regular dose.
It would of course be a more solid (for lack of a better word) experiment on yourself if you had a regular dose.

There are several diabetics in my family that take metformin.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow


My partner is border-line diabetic so was not all that conscientious in taking it so we had quite a large reserve. I have taken it for a month now, building up the dose from 1 a day to 3 a day. One with every meal.

reply to post by Lebowski achiever TO LEBOWSKI ACHIEVER: GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR METFORMIN THERAPY.
I TOO AM INTERESTED IN METFORMIN AS A TREATMENT FOR CANCER. MY FAMILY HAS HAD A LOT OF CANCER . MY SISTER IS PRESENTLY BATTLING ADVANCED LUNG CANCER . I SUGGESTED SHE TRY METFORMIN AND SHE HAS AGREED TO DO SO BUT HER ONCOLOGIST WON'T ALLOW IT UNTIL HER CHEMO IS FINISHED AS THEY SAID IT MIGHT OVERLOAD HER KIDNEYS. THERE HAVE BEEN RECENT CLINICAL TRIALS WHERE METFORMIN WAS GIVEN WITH CHEMO FOR BREAST AND PROSTATE CANCERS TO TEST TOLERANCE WITH NO ILL EFFECTS. MORE CLINICAL TRIALS MAY SOON BE COMING WITH THIS DRUG FOR LUNG CANCER BUT THEY NEED TO BE PAID FOR BY PRIVATE DONATIONS SINCE THE PHARMA CO'S WON'T PAY AS THE DRUG IS PAST PATENT. I FOR ONE WOULD DONATE TO SUCH A TRIAL .IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A TENDENCY TO BYPASS RESEARCH ON NON PATENTABLE CANCER TREATMENTS . THIS DRUG SHOWS SO MUCH POTENTIAL AND SHOULD BE TESTED AGAINST CANCER. TAKING METFORMIN SUPPOSEDLY CUTS OFF ENERGY TO THE CANCER AND CAUSES THE CANCER CELLS TO SEEK A DIFFERENT PATHWAY TO GET THEIR ENERGY BUT THAT PATHWAY IS BLOCKED SO THEY SUCCUMB TO LACK OF ENERGY. LET'S HOPE THE THEORY IS CORRECT. IF YOU TOLERATE THE DRUG WHY NOT TAKE IT. IT HAS OTHER BENEFITS. POSTED BY : CURESEEKER

reply to post by cureseeker


Hey Cureseeker. I am so happy that you give me this info! It is exactly what I need. I'm taking it secretly as I think it will have no ill effects on Kidneys at all. It is not listed as a side effect but maybe the chemo itself that is damaging to Kidneys (most Platinum based Chemos are).

You also describe perfectly in layman terms how this drug works. Thank you for that. BUT a word of advice: Please switch the CAPS off.

reply to post by Lebowski achiever

Lebowski,

I think you will find that metformin (along with many other substances that are purported to be beneficial in cancer therapy) is very acidic. It has a pKa of 2.8. Some other common substances that are purported to help prevent or treat cancer are ascorbic acid (pKa 4.2), asprin (pKa 3.5), and uric acid (pka 3.9).

Of course this only describes their activity in the most basic terms not why they may be helpful in the prevention or treatment of cancers. That is probably not the correct place for that discussion but feel free to PM if you want more information.

- Primordal

Some meeting abstracts don't get indexed in PubMed/MEDLINE.

example - a mice study given metformin for pancreatic cancer using PANC-1 and MIAPaCa-2 xenografts

See this hidden one from the 41st Annual Meeting of the American Pancreatic Association, November 3-6, 2010, Chicago, Illinois

the authors had published 2 similar studies before, PubMed should start indexing conferences...(Metformin Disrupts Crosstalk between G Protein–Coupled Receptor and Insulin Receptor Signaling Systems and Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Crosstalk between Insulin/Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Receptors and G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling Systems: A Novel Target for the Antidiabetic Drug Metformin in Pancreatic Cancer)

Extracted from page 1328 of the fulltext pdf

use the scrolling bar or right click to show full image alone - last study at left text column

Pancreas:
November 2010 - Volume 39 - Issue 8 - pp 1306-1360
doi: 10.1097/MPA.0b013e3181f73ec0
Abstracts
journals.lww.com/pancreasjournal/Citation/2010/11000/Abstracts_of_Papers_Submitted_to_the_41st_Annual.33.aspx

Targeting the Synergistic Crosstalk Between Insulin and G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling by Metformin Potently Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Cell Proliferation in vitro and in vivo

K. Kisfalvi,1 J. Sinnett-Smith,1 G. Eibl,2 E. Rozengurt.1 1Department of Medicine, 2Department of Surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles.

Current therapies offer poor survival rates in pancreatic cancer patients. More
effective therapies will likely arise from targeting synergistic crosstalks in the
cancer cells that promote their unrestricted proliferation.

Results: We identified a crosstalk between insulin/IGF-1 and G proteincoupled
receptor (GPCR) agonist signaling pathways that synergize to
strikingly enhance cell proliferation and DNA synthesis in human pancreatic
cancer cells. This synergistic interaction depended on the function of mammalian
target of rapamycin (mTOR) Metformin, the most widely used drug
for type-2 diabetes, is thought to activate AMP kinase (AMPK), which
negatively regulates mTOR. We found that metformin abrogated the enhanced
DNA synthesis, anchorage-dependent and independent growth induced
by insulin and GPCR agonists in pancreatic cancer cells, including
PANC-1 and MIAPaCa-2. Metformin induced sustained AMPK activation
and AMPK inhibitor reversed the effects of metformin. Next we examined
how metformin affects pancreatic cancer growth in vivo using PANC-1 and
MIAPaCa-2 tumor xenografts in nude mice. Metformin, given daily intraperitoneally
(250 mg/kg) markedly decreased the rate of growth of both
PANC-1 and MIAPaCa-2 xenografts (p=0.007 in PANC-1, p=0.005 in
MIAPaCa-2). We then administered metformin orally, as currently available
for human patients, in drinking water (2.5mg/ml). Metformin again strongly
inhibited the growth of the tumor xenografts (p=0.014 in PANC-1, p=0.009
in MIAPaCa-2).
Conclusion: These results raise the possibility that metformin could be a
candidate in novel treatment strategies for human pancreatic cancer.

Did you see this?

Metformin Prevents Tobacco Carcinogen–Induced Lung Tumorigenesis

study was commented below, with an image pathway summary.

fulltext for second reference, not free...(Price: US $ 31.50 )- "free" pdf

ending paragraphs

The exact mechanism responsible for the efficacy of metformin in treating this in vivo model of lung cancer has yet to be fully elucidated. What is clear, however, is the potential feasibility of this “new” drug as an important agent in the future management of lung cancer. Further, as the authors propose, this work has important implications for chemoprevention.1 There is strong rationale for proceeding with a chemoprevention trial that uses metformin in heavy smokers who are at high risk for developing lung cancer.

As we continue to search for fresh answers to old problems, we must realize that the wave of targeted molecular therapy for cancer is upon us. In order to provide individualized therapeutic plans for patients, ideally delivering the greatest benefit with the least burdensome side effects, we must understand the genetics of our patients' tumors and identify possible targets for intervention. Further, while billions of dollars and an enormous amount of effort will certainly continue to be directed toward the development and design of novel compounds, an important point has been made here: sometimes, all it takes is revisiting a “blast from the past.”

Teaching an Old Drug New Tricks: Metformin as a Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer

Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Volume 22, Issue 3, Autumn 2010, Pages 195-196
doi:10.1053/j.semtcvs.2010.10.015

reply to post by jjjtir


I can't express enough my gratitude! Thank you. I will fully read up on this in the next few days and come back if I have some questions.