Metformin in ovarian cancer therapy: A discussion

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are dramatically increasing worldwide. In addition to being the most important factor for the increase in diabetes prevalence, there is a growing evidence of obesity being also significantly associated with the risks and poor outcome in ovarian cancer (OVC). Metformin is the most widely used first-line type 2 diabetes drug, currently being studied for its association with the decreased risk of occurrence and better survival of OVC patients. In this review, we discussed the proposed mechanisms of metformin-exerted anticancer effects, as well as the preclinical and clinical data suggesting its beneficial effect against this devastating condition.