Metformin in pancreatic cancer observational feasibility study MET-PAC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A cross-sectional study to justify and inform a future randomised controlled clinical trial of metformin versus placebo to improve overall survival in patients with inoperable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
IRAS ID
238050
Contact name
Andrew Hart
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of East Anglia
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
The survival of patients with PDAC is very poor as symptoms occur when the cancer is already at an advanced stage. Surgery remains the only potential curative treatment, although this is possible in just up to 10% of patients who have a small cancer. Chemotherapy is an option for patients with advanced cancer. However, to receive potentially toxic chemotherapies patients need to be very medically fit and they only offer minimal survival benefits. New chemotherapies are urgently required, which are well tolerated by patients. Metformin, a drug commonly used to treat diabetes, may be a possibility as in laboratory experiments it has also been shown to kill cancer cells. To assess whether metformin is beneficial, research trials are needed comparing survival in patients who receive and do not receive metformin. This current MET-PAC study will answer several unknowns before such trials can start. To do this approximately 150 patients who have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at hospitals in Norfolk will have their clinical notes reviewed. We will collect information on many areas including how many patients are on metformin already at diagnosis and if they are likely to be able to tolerate the drug. This information will help us decide whether a large trial of metformin is possible in the future.
REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/EE/0114
Date of REC Opinion
23 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion