Metformin may offer no protective effect in men undergoing external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer

Abstract

Objectives: To assess whether metformin reduces radio-resistance and increases survival in men undergoing external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for prostate cancer (PCa), and to determine its effect on hypoxia inducible factor 1-α (HIF1α). Patients and Methods: All patients treated with curative intent with EBRT for PCa at a major cancer centre between 2000 and 2007 were included in this study. The outcome measures of time to biochemical failure (BF), metastasis, PCa-specific mortality and overall survival (OS) were analysed in those taking metformin vs those not, using competing risk and Cox regression models. To determine metformin's effect on HIF1α expression and survival in vitro, PC3 c..