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A clinical trial led by Monash University found that the common diabetes drug metformin significantly reduced knee pain in people with osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity, potentially delaying the need for knee replacements. Over six months, participants taking metformin experienced greater pain relief than those on placebo, offering a promising, low-cost alternative treatment. ======================================================================== Metformin may reduce knee pain in overweight patients with osteoarthritis, offering a low-cost alternative to early knee replacement surgery, according to a Monash University trial. A widely used diabetes medication may help relieve knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain in people who are overweight or obese, potentially delaying...

An analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial for patients with stage 3 colon cancer found that those with PIK3CA mutations who took celecoxib, an anti-inflammatory drug, after surgery lived significantly longer and had longer disease-free survival compared to those without the mutation. After primary treatment for stage 3 colon cancer, patients typically receive adjuvant chemotherapy intended to reduce the risk of the cancer returning. In a subset of these patients, the cancer returns, and those patients have few treatment options. Researchers are looking for ways to improve adjuvant therapies and stave off recurrence. To investigate the use of...

STANFORD, Calif. — A widely-available anti-inflammatory prescription drug can reduce the risk of a common skin cancer in humans, according to a researcher at Stanford's School of Medicine. Although oral administration of the drug, celecoxib, is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in some people, it's possible that topical application could have a safer, protective effect for people prone to developing the cancers, called basal cell carcinomas, the researcher believes. "Basal cell carcinomas are the most common human cancer in the United States," said Jean Tang, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology, "and their incidence is...