Apr 19, 2016 06:27 AM EDT By Mariel Hemingway, UniversityHerald Reporter

A type 2 diabetes drug called Metformin has been found to reduce cancer death risk in postmenopausal women according to a new study. The study by Roswell Park and University of Buffalo researchers found that the drug Metformin can reduce fibrosis and inflammation.

Diabetic women with cancer had a 45 percent increased chance of dying from their cancer compared to those that don't have cancer but don't have diabetes. However, taking metformin significantly reduced the risk in diabetic women with cancer.

"Our findings from this large study may provide more evidence that postmenopausal women with diabetes and cancer may benefit from Metformin therapy compared to other anti-diabetes therapy," said lead researcher Zhihong Gong from Roswell Park Cancer Institute, as reported by UPI.

The study published in the International Journal of Cancer analyzed data from the Women's Health Intiative (WHI). They kept track of more than 140,000 postmenopausal women ages between 50 and 80 with diabetes who took metformin.

International Business Times notes that there is a 13 percent increased risk for diabetic women to develop invasive cancer. Diabetic women had 20 to 40 percent increased risk of developing colon, pancreas, liver, endometrial cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, diabetic women with cancer who took Metformin had reduced death risk for colon, breast and ovarian cancer.

Although the prospect of Metformin reducing cancer death risks among postmenopausal diabetic women is great, researchers say that the findings should be taken with caution. Tech Times reports that there is no evidence that Metformin prevents or decreases cancer deaths; they only found a link between the two. Researchers say that they will continue investigating Metformin and its effects.

Do you think of type 2 diabetes drug Metformin is capable of reducing cancer deaths among menopausal women? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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