Exercise and Metformin in Colorectal and Breast Cancer Survivors

Completed · Phase 2

Conditions studied: Colorectal Cancer, Breast Cancer

In brief

Metformin is a medication that is commonly used in the treatment of diabetes. Recently small studies in cancer patients without diabetes suggest that metformin may benefit in lowering insulin levels. In those studies of patients with cancer but not diabetes, glucose (or sugar) levels in the blood are generally no lowered. Insulin and insulin-like growth factors affect the growth of cancer cells. This randomized study will compare different interventions; exercise, exercise and metformin, metformin alone, or a control arm. The investigators are not directly testing how either exercise or metformin affects your disease. The investigators are testing how they affect insulin levels in your body as well as other blood markers. The investigators believe that these blood tests may either be related to cancer recurrences or be an early sign of cancer recurrences and they are testing how both exercise and metformin may change those markers.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01340300

Run by

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

People needed

139

Starts

2011-05-01

Expected to finish

2017-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2018-06-06

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Histologically confirmed stage I-III colorectal or breast cancer
• Undergone curative-intent complete surgical resection and completed all adjuvant therapy (if indicated) at least 2 months prior to enrollment
• Note: Breast cancer subjects on hormonal therapy or trastuzumab only therapy and colorectal cancer subjects on adjunctive therapies not considered cytotoxic chemotherapy (including those participating in CALGB 80702 receiving only celecoxib/placebo) are eligible.
• Participants will be allowed to receive concomitant adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer; however, all endocrine agents must be initiated at least 1 month prior to enrollment in the study and continued throughout the duration of study participation.
• Less than 120 minutes of exercise per week
• Approval by oncologist or surgeon
• English speaking and able to read English
• No planned surgery anticipated in the 3 month intervention period
• At least one month from any major surgery to start of intervention including colostomy reversal

You may not qualify if…

• Concurrent other malignancy or history of other malignancy treated within the past 3 years (other than non-melanoma skin cancer or in-situ cervical cancer)
• Metastatic disease
• Scheduled to receive any form of further adjuvant cancer therapy
• Currently on medication for diabetes treatment
• Pregnant or breast-feeding
• Any condition associated with increased risk of metformin-associated lactic acidosis (prior renal failure or liver failure, history of acidosis of any type; habitual intake of 3 or more alcoholic beverages per day)
• Known hypersensitivity or intolerance to metformin

Where it is running

• Yale School of Medicine — New Haven, Connecticut, United States
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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