What does science say about Metformin and cancer (all types)?
- We don’t say yes or no. We show what has been studied.
- Working in a lab or in animals does not mean it works in people.
- Don’t stop or change your treatment without talking to your doctor.
What has been studied
- Lab studies (cells)Tests on cells in a dish.Source: PubMed · as of 10 Nov 2026 · Open the search at PubMed675studies
- Animal studiesTests in mice, rats or other animals.Source: PubMed · as of 10 Nov 2026 · Open the search at PubMed603studies
- Studies in peoplePublished studies with human participants.Source: PubMed · as of 10 Nov 2026 · Open the search at PubMed1049studies
- Registered trials in peopleTrials entered in a public registry, whatever their result.ClinicalTrials.gov: 61 · as of 10 Nov 2026 · Open the search at ClinicalTrials.govEU CTIS: 4 · as of 10 Nov 2026 · Open the search at EU CTISBy phase:Phase 2 (37)Phase 1 (10)Phase 3 (7)Phase 1/2 (6)No phase (2)Phase 2/3 (2)Early Phase 1 (1)By status:Recruiting (27)Running, not recruiting (17)Completed (13)Stopped early (5)Withdrawn before start (2)Not yet recruiting (1)Countries (24):United States (34)Italy (8)Canada (5)China (4)France (4)Australia (3)Spain (3)United Kingdom (3)Netherlands (3)Poland (3)Brazil (2)Germany (2)Israel (2)Taiwan (2)Belgium (1)Switzerland (1)Denmark (1)Ireland (1)Iraq (1)Japan (1)South Korea (1)Mexico (1)Norway (1)New Zealand (1)With a linked publication (results): 9 of 65The registries do not tell us here whether results were posted; a linked publication is shown instead.65trials
- Approved treatmentApproved by a medicines regulator for this disease.No
Cancer here means all 33 cancer types we cover.
Examples of what we found
The trials
Phase 2
Canagliflozin Plus Progestin for Atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia and Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer
Not yet recruiting · China
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT07890064Phase 1
Safety and Tolerability of Metformin and Naproxen for Cancer Prevention in Fanconi Anemia
Recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT07901959Phase 1
Metformin Inhibits DNMT3A Clonal Hematopoiesis in Acute Leukemia
Recruiting · China
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT07188740Phase 2
Target Validation and Efficacy of Metformin in Patients With Posterior Fossa Group A (PFA) Ependymoma
Recruiting · Brazil, United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT07226453Phase 2
HPV Vaccine, Imiquimod, and Metformin Combination Trial
Recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT06686043Phase 1/2
Phase 2A Pilot C3 Trial of Recurrent/Refractory Metastatic Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT06030622Phase 1/2
First-in-Human Study of Tersolisib (STX-478) as Monotherapy and in Combination With Other Antineoplastic Agents in Participants With Advanced Solid Tumors
Recruiting · Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05768139Phase 3
Evaluation of metformin effect on the fertility of women treated with 131Ifor thyroid cancer
Running, not recruiting · Poland
EU CTIS · 2024-518352-23-00Early Phase 1
Pragmatic Trial of Metformin for Glucose Intolerance or Increased BMI in Prostate Cancer Patients
Running, not recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05515978Phase 2
Metformin for Chemoprevention of Lung Cancer in Overweight or Obese Individuals at High Risk for Lung Cancer
Running, not recruiting · Canada, United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04931017Phase 2
Metformin and Insulin to Pancreatic Cancer Related Diabetes (Type 3c)
Running, not recruiting · China
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05306028Phase 3
Effect of Metformin on Behaviour and the Brain in Children Treated for a Brain Tumour
Recruiting · Australia, Canada
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05230758Phase 1/2
COAST Therapy in Advanced Solid Tumors and Prostate Cancer
Recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05036226Phase 2
Repurposing Metformin As a Leukemia-preventive Drug in CCUS and LR-MDS
Recruiting · Denmark
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04741945Phase 2
Megestrol Acetate Compared With Megestrol Acetate and Metformin to Prevent Endometrial Cancer
Running, not recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04576104Phase 2
The Effect of Metformin in Patients With Newly Diagnosed mHSPC
Running, not recruiting · China
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04925063Phase 2
Investigation of Metformin for the Prevention of Progression of Precursor Multiple Myeloma
Running, not recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04850846Phase 1/2
Relapse in Previously Irradiated Prostate Bed : Stereotactic Ablative Reirradiation Potentiated by Metformin
Running, not recruiting · France
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04536805Phase 2/3
NeoAspMet - Neoadjuvant Aspirin and/or Metformin during preoperative induction chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy for locally-advanced rectal cancer. A multi-arm, multi-stage, intergroup (STAR-04/SICO-CR01/GISCAD/AIRO-GI) randomised clinical trial. The NeoAspMet trial
Recruiting · Italy
EU CTIS · 2024-519007-10-00Phase 2
Anti-PD-1 mAb Plus Metabolic Modulator in Solid Tumor Malignancies
Recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04114136Phase 2
Combining Pembrolizumab and Metformin in Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Running, not recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04414540Phase 1
Phase IB Metformin, Digoxin, Simvastatin in Solid Tumors
Running, not recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT03889795Phase 2
RESOLVE: Abemaciclib + Letrozole +/- Metformin or Gedatolisib in Endometrial Cancer
Recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT03675893Phase 1/2
A Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Multiple Treatment Combinations in Patients With Metastatic or Locally Advanced Breast Cancer
Recruiting · Australia, Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT03424005Phase 1
A Trial of Pembrolizumab and Metformin Versus Pembrolizumab Alone in Advanced Melanoma
Running, not recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT03311308Phase 2
A Pilot Study of Ketogenic Diet and Metformin in Glioblastoma: Feasibility and Metabolic Imaging
Running, not recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04691960Phase 1
Gemcitabine Hydrochloride, Paclitaxel Albumin-Stabilized Nanoparticle Formulation, Metformin Hydrochloride, and a Standardized Dietary Supplement in Treating Patients With Pancreatic Cancer That Cannot be Removed by Surgery
Running, not recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT02336087Phase 2
Metformin, Neo-adjuvant Temozolomide and Hypo- Accelerated Radiotherapy Followed by Adjuvant TMZ in Patients With GBM
Running, not recruiting · Canada
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT02780024Phase 2
Improving the Treatment for Women With Early Stage Cancer of the Uterus
Running, not recruiting · Australia, New Zealand
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT01686126Phase 1/2
A Phase I/II Trial of Vemurafenib and Metformin to Melanoma Patients
Recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT01638676Phase 2
I-SPY TRIAL: Neoadjuvant and Personalized Adaptive Novel Agents to Treat Breast Cancer
Recruiting · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT01042379Phase 2/3
Systemic Therapy in Advancing or Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Evaluation of Drug Efficacy
Running, not recruiting · Switzerland, United Kingdom
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT00268476Phase 3
Study of the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Metabolic Combination Treatments on Cancer
Withdrawn before start · United Kingdom
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT02201381Phase 2
Paxalisib With a High Fat, Low Carb Diet and Metformin for Glioblastoma
Completed · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT05183204No phase
DataBase for Analysis of Rectal Cancer Oncological Results
Completed · Poland
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT04947020Phase 2
Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy With or Without Metformin Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Completed · Canada, Israel, United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT02186847Phase 3
An Endometrial Cancer Chemoprevention Study of Metformin
Completed · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT01697566Phase 1
Temsirolimus in Combination With Metformin in Patients With Advanced Cancers
Stopped early · United States
ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT01529593
Thinking of paying for it? Read this first
- Ask for published results. Stories, thank-you letters and "patients report" are not results. Ask where the results were published.
- Know what you pay for. Ask in writing: what exactly is included, who gets the money, and what happens if you stop.
- Ask your own doctor first. Some products interfere with chemotherapy, radiation or other medicines. Your treating doctor can check this.
- Do not stop standard treatment for it. Do not stop or delay your treatment without talking to your care team.
Not medical advice. Talk to the care team before changing treatment.