Study title and authors:
Do statins prevent or promote cancer?
Mark R. Goldstein, MD FACP Medical Director, Fountain Medical Court, 9410 Fountain Medical Court, Suite A-200, Bonita Springs, Florida 34135, U.S.A., E-mail:Email: markrgoldstein@comcast.net;
Luca Mascitelli, MD Luca Mascitelli, Comando Brigata Alpina “Julia”, Servizio Sanitario, 8 Via S. Agostino, Udine 33100, Italy, E-mail:Email: lumasci@libero.it;
Francesca Pezzetta, MD Francesca Pezzetta, Cardiology Service, Ospedale di Tolmezzo, Tolmezzo 33028, Italy, E-mail:Email: francesca.pezzetta@libero.it;
This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2365486/
The authors highlights that prospective data suggest that statins actually increase cancer
in certain segments of the population. They state: "close inspection of statin trials reveal the specific populations at risk for the development
of incident cancer with statin treatment. These include:
(1) The elderly
(2) People with a history of breast or prostate cancer (3) Statin-treated individuals undergoing immunotherapy for cancer may be at increased risk for worsening cancer
(4) In over 75's at high risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer incidence is significantly increased in subjects randomized to pravastatin in the PROSPER trial.
(5) The elderly, when subjected to atorvastatin, a high-dose versus low-dose demonstrated a trend toward increased death, largely from an increase in cancer mortality in the TNT trial.
(6) An alarming increase in breast cancer incidence, some of which were recurrences, was seen in women randomized to pravastatin in the CARE trial.
(7) That finding indicates that cancers may become evident a decade or more after treatment with statins.
(8) Statin therapy has been associated with tumour progression leading to radical cystectomy in patients treated for bladder cancer with bacille Calmette–Guérin immunotherapy.
In conclusion, we feel that there is ample evidence that statins may promote cancer in certain segments of the population".
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