The effect of metformin on the risk of recurrent nonmelanoma skin cancers
Abstract
nonmelanoma skin cancers Dear Editor, Metformin has recently been shown to have a protective effect on the primary development of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) among a large population of type II diabetics in Taiwan. This raises the question of whether metformin can reduce recurrences of NMSCs in patients with a history of NMSC. To answer this, we performed a preliminary retrospective cohort study of adult patients in the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System with their first biopsy-confirmed NMSCs between January 1 and December 31, 2003. The patients’ problems and medications were screened for exclusion criteria, including previous NMSCs, type I diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, arsenic or radiation exposure, genetic predisposition to NMSCs, and use of oral retinoids, contraceptives, or nicotinamide. Of the 740 patients screened, 544 patients were excluded due to prior NMSCs, and 22 were eliminated due to other exclusion criteria. The remaining 174 patients were placed into three cohorts: nondiabetics (n = 117), type II diabetics on metformin (n = 20), and diabetics not on metformin (n = 37). Demographics, patient characteristics, exposure history, melanoma history, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, average of up to three hemoglobin A1c (HgbA1c) values after
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 740 participants or records.
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