The Impact of Insulin on Low-dose Metronomic Vinorelbine and Mafosfamide in Breast Cancer Cells

Background/aim Breast cancer (BC) may be affected by diabetes and anti-diabetic medication, as well as its therapeutic agents. Low-dose metronomic chemotherapy (LDMC) is an available treatment option in BC. We investigated the impact of insulin on low-dose metronomic vinorelbine and mafosfamide in BC cell lines. Materials and methods Human BC cell lines T-47D, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, BT-549 and non-tumorigenic breast cell line MCF-10A were exposed to 0.01 μg/ml and 10 μg/ml insulin in combination with low-dose metronomic vinorelbine or mafosfamide. The cell viability was determined after 24-72 hours using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Results Insulin, especi…