Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Metformina
Metformin (met-FOR-min)
The active ingredient in 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 is a type of antidiabetic agent.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.