Metformin Combined With Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer

In this phase II randomized, placebo controlled study, patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer will be randomized to treatment with gemcitabine, erlotinib and metformin, or gemcitabine, erlotinib and placebo. Gemcitabine at a dose of 1000 mg/m2 (iv, 30 minutes) will be given weekly, for 3 weeks, followed by one week without treatment. Erlotinib will be administered at a daily dose of 100 mg at least one hour before or 2 hours after the ingestion of food. Metformin/ placebo will be administered at a dose of 500 mg twice daily. If well tolerated the dose will be increased to 1000 mg twice daily in the second week.