Diabetes Drug Metformin Protects Against Skin Cancer, New Research Says
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Jan. 14, 2025 -- A popular diabetes drug can provide protection against skin cancers, a new study says.
Metformin significantly reduces people’s risk of developing basal cell cancers or squamous cell cancers, the two most common skin cancers, researchers found in a recent study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.
People taking metformin had a significantly lower risk of basal cell cancer and a significantly lower risk of squamous cell cancer, results show.
“This study strengthens the evidence supporting metformin's potential as a protective agent against non-melanoma skin cancer,” concluded the research team led by senior researcher Dr. Tiffany Libby, an assistant professor of dermatology with Brown University.
Metformin is now the most widely prescribed pill for type 2 diabetes, researchers said in background notes.
Previous studies have suggested that metformin might lower a person’s risk of skin cancer.
About 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. Of those, 8 out of 10 are basal cell cancers.
Deaths from these skin cancers are not common. Only about 2,000 to 8,000 people a year die from skin cancers that aren’t melanoma, which is much more dangerous, the ACS says.
For this study, researchers compared a healthy control group against more than 8,000 people diagnosed with basal cell cancer and more than 4,100 patients with squamous cell cancer.
Each person with skin cancer was matched with four other healthy people who shared their age, race, ethnicity and sex, researchers said. The patient data came from a diverse health database maintained by the National Institutes of Health.
Results showed that metformin users did indeed have a lower risk of skin cancers, especially after researchers adjusted for other medications that can increase risk of skin cancer.
However, the drug did not protect Black patients against squamous cell cancers, researchers found.
“This discrepancy could stem from the fact that SCC in these patients often develops in sunprotected areas and is strongly linked to chronic scarring and inflammation, factors that may not be influenced by metformin use,” the research team wrote.
Metformin might protect against skin cancer by regulating mechanisms that block cancer cells’ access to energy and nutrients, or by blocking the ability of cancer cells to grow and proliferate, researchers said.
Metformin also promotes the death of unhealthy cells, enhances the body’s immune response against cancer cells, reduces inflammation and inhibits the growth of new blood vessels to skin tumors.
“In conclusion, our results suggest that further research may be warranted to consider metformin as a chemopreventive agent,” the researchers concluded.
Sources
- Fox Chase Cancer Center, news release
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2025
Read this next
Trader Joe's Recalls Garlic Cheese Curds Due to Listeria Risk
MONDAY, June 23, 2025 — A cheese sold at Trader Joe’s has been recalled due to possible listeria contamination. The product is Face Rock Creamery’s Vampire...
Nightmares Might Be Slowly Scaring Some To Death
MONDAY, June 23, 2025 — “Scared to death” might not be just a saying, as far as nightmares are concerned. People who have frequent nightmares appear to have a...
Genetic Tests For Autism, Intellectual Disability Not Being Done On Medicaid Kids
MONDAY, June 23, 2025 — Few poor children with autism or intellectual disability are receiving recommended genetic testing, even though guidelines urge such tests, a new...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.