Diabetes, metformin use, and colorectal cancer survival in postmenopausal women.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Observational studies have associated metformin use with lower colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence but few studies have examined metformin's influence on CRC survival. We examined the relationships among metformin use, diabetes, and survival in postmenopausal women with CRC in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trials and observational study.

Methods

2066 postmenopausal women with CRC were followed for a median of 4.1 years, with 589 deaths after CRC diagnosis from all causes and 414 deaths directly attributed to CRC. CRC-specific survival was compared among women with diabetes with metformin use (n=84); women with diabetes with no metformin use (n=128); and women without diabetes (n=1854). Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate associations

SUBMITTER: Cossor FI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3769471 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature