Pilot Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Metformin in Melanoma
Abstract
In western countries, melanoma represents a major mistake of public health by its frequency, lethality and the increasing of incidence. Surgery can cure melanoma diagnosed very early. In other cases, it exists a risk of recurrence of lymph node and visceral. At the stage of visceral metastases, the prognosis of melanoma is catastrophic, with a median survival of 6 months. Indeed, the reference chemotherapy by dacarbazine induces a very limited response rate of 10-20%, the ipilimumab which has been authorized in the second intention, has a response rate of 10%, and other available treatments don't have a superior efficiency. Metformin is an oral antidiabetic of biguanides family which acts by inducing the activation of AMPK, a molecule which is inactivated in many cancers including the melanoma. In agreement with these data, several preclinical studies suggested that metformin has antineoplastic activity. In the case of melanoma, a study published recently has showed that metformin inhibits proliferation of melanoma cells in vitro and we confirmed for our part these results in our laboratory (INSERM U895).
Conditions: Metastatic Melanoma (Stage IIIC Non-résécable or no Surgically Curable or Stage IV With Classification AJCC).
Primary outcome: Response rate.
Enrollment: 20 participants.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a clinical trial, 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: 20 participants or records.
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