Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs (like simvastatin, atorvastatin, etc.) do not help prevent cancer, as believed by many people. In previous studies, statins have been shown to halt the growth, survival and migration of cancer cells. Therefore, researchers from the Boston University hypothesised that statins may have cancer-preventive properties in humans. They collected pertinent information from adults between the ages of 40 and 79 years who were admitted to hospitals in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore from 1991 to 2005. A total of 4,913 patients who had any of 10 types of cancer were compared with 3,900 patients who were admitted for non-cancer-related ailments. The types of cancers examined were breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, bladder, leukaemia, pancreas, kidney, uterine cancer, along with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Statins did not appear to have a positive or negative effect on any of these 10 cancers. The results do not support an association between statin use and the occurrence of these 10 different cancer types, including the four common ones - lung, breast, colon and prostate cancer. The researchers recommend that cancer incidence and statin use should continue to be monitored to find out if any link exists between the two.
Epidemiology,
April 2007