Statin Use and Cancer Risk Reduction News

I’m not a statins’ fan, I have a personal negative impression about these drugs, not specially related to anything but their name - “something-statin …” sounds bad (but sounds that it can “stat” certain cancers development). Beside my personal opinion, more and more evidence is available about the “generic” benefit of its use, at least in cancer risk reduction.
Long-term treatment with statins helps reduce cholesterol levels, heart attack and stroke incidence. There is good evidence about these benefits and these drugs are approved for this use (see links below).

The discussion now is about incidental benefits… two recent reports, from BMJ and JCO discusses the unintended effect of statins in England and Wales and the better outcome of men with prostate cancer using this class of drugs at Chicago University.

The facts:

The England and Wales study was a huge cohort study, with 2 million patients included, read it:
“Individual statins were not significantly associated with risk of Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, venous thromboembolism, dementia, osteoporotic fracture, gastric cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, renal cancer, breast cancer, or prostate cancer. Statin use was associated with decreased risks of oesophageal cancer but increased risks of moderate or serious liver dysfunction, acute renal failure, moderate or serious myopathy, and cataract. Adverse effects were similar across statin types for each outcome except liver dysfunction where risks were highest for fluvastatin. A dose-response effect was apparent for acute renal failure and liver dysfunction. All increased risks persisted during treatment and were highest in the first year.”

The study can be considered negative except for the esophageal cancer reduction, with considerable risk of toxic effects (liver, muscles, kidney, eyes). The study has a broad and generic view, and authors consider that future studies with individualized risk analysis are needed.

The University of Chicago Study identified better outcome for patients using statins and treated for prostate cancer. It is a retrospective study with 691 men, 189 used statins and all were treated between 1988 and 2006. Patients under statins stood longer without biochemical recurrence, longer for salvage treatment and longer relapse-free survival. In their analysis, lower levels of cholesterol (mainly LDL) were associated with better outcome from low to high risk patients.

We had preclinical evidence of potential anticancer activity of statins with antiproliferative, proapoptotic, and radiosensitizing properties.
Now we have some reasonable clinical evidence.

So what?

Should I get some statin pills to prevent prostate or esophageal cancer?
Or should I exercise to reduce my LDL level (where probably the benefit stands)?

Keep moving….

Link to evidence of benefit about statins use: http://ht.ly/1R7cM
England and Wales study: http://ht.ly/1R7iT
Chicago Study: http://ht.ly/1R7eS