Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Clorhidrato de metformina
Metformin hydrochloride (met-FOR-min HY-droh-KLOR-ide)
A drug used to treat diabetes mellitus (a condition in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood ). It is also being studied in the treatment of cancer. It decreases the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) released into the bloodstream from the liver and increases the body’s use of the glucose. Metformin hydrochloride is a type of antidiabetic agent. Also called Glucophage.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.