The role of common pharmaceutical agents on the prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer

Sunil Amin, Paolo Boffetta, Aimee L. Lucas

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Survival from pancreatic cancer remains poor. Conventional treatment has resulted in only marginal improvements in survival compared with survival in the previous several decades. Thus, considerable interest has emerged regarding the potential use of common pharmaceutical agents as chemopreventative and chemotherapeutic options. Aspirin, metformin, statins, b-blockers, and bisphosphonates have biologically plausible mechanisms to inhibit pancreatic neoplasia, whereas dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors may promote it. Regardless, real-world epidemiological data remain inconclusive. This review examines the hypotheses, evidence, and current state of the literature for each of these medications and their potential roles in the prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)665-671
Number of pages7
JournalGut and Liver
Volume10
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2016

Keywords

  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Aspirin
  • Betablockers
  • Bisphosphonates
  • Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors
  • Epidemiology
  • Malignancy
  • Metformin
  • Pancreas
  • Statins

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