Guadalajara researchers find metformin may reduce liver cancer risk

A multicenter study led by researchers from the Gerencia del Área Integrada de Guadalajara has provided new evidence on reducing the risk of hepatocarcinoma in patients who have cleared a hepatitis C infection. The research, which originated three years ago at the Hospital Universitario de Guadalajara, was published in the journal Liver International.

The study's primary finding indicates that in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have overcome hepatitis C, the cumulative use of metformin is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing hepatocarcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer.

While eradicating the hepatitis C virus is a major medical advancement, the study warns that individuals with advanced liver disease still face a residual risk of liver cancer, particularly when combined with factors like type 2 diabetes. The research involved monitoring 1,531 patients from three Spanish hospitals over a period of more than six years, in collaboration with the Fundación Hospital Universitario de Alcorcón and the Consorci Sanitari Alt Penedès-Garraf.