Preclinical Studies of Metformin Reveal Radiosensitization for Human Small Cell Lung Cancer In Vitro But Apparent Antagonism In Vivo

Abstract

Metformin is an oral agent used for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus that may potentially enhance radiosensitivity for several types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer. Clinical studies of metformin in cancer are now underway. However, despite the need for more effective treatments for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), few studies of metformin and radiation in SCLC have been reported. We therefore investigated the efficacy of metformin combined with radiation therapy for SCLC.