Impact of Polypharmacy for Chronic Ailments in Colon Cancer Patients: A Review Focused on Drug Repurposing

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Colorectal cancer patients are frequently also affected by various chronic conditions that require specific treatment. Several papers have focused on the role of different classes of drugs such as anti-hypertensive medications, statins, anti-bacterial antibiotics, aspirin and NSAIDs, metformin and anti-depressants, and their impact on colorectal cancer survival. Aim of this review is to summarise this findings as to suggest which drugs might be further explored for therapeutic approaches in this setting. Our review suggests that beta-blockers and statins should be further explored as potentially useful treatment options respectively in metastatic colorectal cancer for the former and in adjuvant setting for the latter. ABSTRACT: Colorectal cancer is characterized by high incidence worldwide. Despite increased awareness and early diagnosis thanks to screening programmes, mortality remains high, particularly for patients with metastatic involvement. Immune checkpoint inhibitors or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-inhibitors have met with disappointing results when used in this setting, opposed to other malignancies. New drugs with different mechanisms of action are needed in this disease. Drug repurposing might offer new therapeutic options, as patients with metastatic colorectal cancer often share risk factors for other chronic diseases and thus frequently are on incidental therapy with these drugs. The aim of this review is to summarise the published results of the activity of drugs used to treat chronic medications in patients affected by colorectal cancer. We focused on antihypertensive drugs, Non-Steroid Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), metformin, antidepressants, statins and antibacterial antibiotics. Our review shows that there are promising results with beta blockers, statins and metformin, whereas data concerning antidepressants and antibacterial antibiotics seem to show a potentially harmful effect. It is hoped that further prospective trials that take into account the role of these drugs as anticancer medications are conducted.