A new study has revealed that a class of medication called SGLT2 inhibitors, traditionally used for diabetes, may help slow prostate cancer progression in men who are receiving hormone treatment.
The research, published in the Journal of American Medical Association Oncology, suggests that men who took drugs such as dapagliflozin and empagliflozin while on hormone therapy may have had better cancer control than those using other diabetes treatments.
The study
Researchers carried out the study on a monthly basis using electronic health records in the Clinical Data Analysis and Reporting System of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority from January 1, 1993, to April 30, 2025.
They identified 14,223 men with prostate cancer who started hormone therapy, also known as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
The men were followed for a median of about 5.5 years and their average age was 74 years.
The study also looked at metformin, another common diabetes drug.
The results
Compared with men using other diabetes medications, the men who took SGLT2 inhibitors had a 37% lower risk that their hormones stopped working.
They also had a 56% lower risk that newer drugs would later fail. The benefits appeared similar for different SGLT2 inhibitors.
Metformin, however, did not appear to slow prostate cancer progression. Men with diabetes taking metformin lived longer overall, supporting previous data.
Why might SGLT2 inhibitors help?
The exact reason isn’t clear yet. Laboratory studies suggest these drugs may affect how cancer cells use energy, reduce insulin-related growth signals, or lower inflammation in the body— all of which could potentially slow cancer growth.
However, these ideas have not been proven in patients.
The authors note that, because this was an observational study, it cannot prove that SGLT2 inhibitors directly caused better cancer outcomes.
Other factors — such as which patients were prescribed certain drugs — may still influence the results.
Even so, the findings raise an interesting possibility: some diabetes medications might also support prostate cancer treatment when used alongside hormone therapy.
This data reinforces lifestyle strategies to reduce the risk of diabetes, such as exercise, having a normal weight and avoiding sugary processed foods.
The authors stress that clinical trials are needed to confirm whether SGLT2 inhibitors truly improve prostate cancer outcomes and to ensure they are safe and effective for this purpose.
In the meantime, it would be better to concentrate on lifestyle and nutritional factors, which can help both diabetes and cancer