Statins may cause a huge rise in breast cancer risk

This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine 1996 Oct 3;335(14):1001-9

Study title and authors:
The effect of pravastatin on coronary events after myocardial infarction in patients with average cholesterol levels. Cholesterol and Recurrent Events Trial investigators.

Sacks FM, Pfeffer MA, Moye LA, Rouleau JL, Rutherford JD, Cole TG, Brown L, Warnica JW, Arnold JM, Wun CC, Davis BR, Braunwald E.
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8801446

This study, named the Cholesterol and Recurrent Events Trial (CARE) investigated the effects of statins in patients with coronary disease, who have average (below 240 mg/dL or 6.2 mmol/L) cholesterol levels. The study was a double-blind, placebo controlled trial lasting five years and included 4,159 patients who received either 40 mg of pravastatin per day or placebo.

The study found:
(a) Those taking statins had a 19% reduced risk of death from coronary heart disease compared to placebo.
(b) Those taking statins had a 45% increased risk of death due to cardiovascular but noncoronary causes compared to placebo.
(c) Those taking statins had a 100% increased risk of violent death compared to placebo.
(d) Those taking statins had a 9% increased risk of death from cancer compared to placebo.
(e) Those taking statins had a 7% increased risk of any cancer compared to placebo.
(f) Women taking statins had a 1100% increased risk of breast cancer compared to placebo.

Dr Uffe Ravnskov, an expert in cholesterol, statins and heart disease, commented in his book 'The Cholesterol Myths': "Considering the large number of participants, this result doesn't seem particularly impressive... In fact, the reduction in coronary heart disease deaths was offset by the fact that in the treatment (statin) group a few more had died from other causes".



Statin use increases the risk of breast and prostate cancer

This study was published in Epidemiology 2002 May;13(3):262-7

 

Study title and authors:

Statin use and the risk of breast and prostate cancer.

Coogan PF, Rosenberg L, Palmer JR, Strom BL, Zauber AG, Shapiro S.

Slone Epidemiology Unit, Boston University School of Medicine, Brookline, MA 02446, USA. pcoogan@slone.bu.edu

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11964926

This study assessed the relationship of statin use to the risk of breast and prostate cancer. The study included 1,132 women with breast cancer and 1,009 men with prostate cancer who were compared with 1,331 women and 1,387 men without breast or prostate cancer.

The study found:
(a) Women using statins had a 50% increased risk of breast cancer compared to women not using statins.
(b) Men using statins had a 20% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to men not using statins.

Statins increase the risk of death by 21% in women with breast cancer

This study was published in PLoS One 2013 Sep 25;8(9):e75088

 

Study title and authors:

Mortality and Recurrence Risk in Relation to the Use of Lipid-Lowering Drugs in a Prospective Breast Cancer Patient Cohort.

Nickels S, Vrieling A, Seibold P, Heinz J, Obi N, Flesch-Janys D, Chang-Claude J.

Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24086446

This study investigated the effects of cholesterol lowering drugs (the vast majority (85%) were taking statins) on women diagnosed with breast cancer. The study included 3,189 women, aged 50 and older, who were followed for 5.3 years.

The study found:
(a) Women taking statins had a 21% increased risk of death compared to women not taking statins.
(b) Women taking statins had a 4% increased risk of death from breast cancer compared to women not taking statins.
(c) Women taking statins had a 49% increased risk of death from causes other than breast cancer compared to women not taking statins.

Women using statins have a 9% increased risk of breast cancer

This study was published in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2003 Mar;56(3):280-5

Study title and authors:
Statin use and the risk of breast cancer.

Beck P, Wysowski DK, Downey W, Butler-Jones D.
Saskatchewan Health, Population Health Branch, 3475 Albert Street, Regina SK S4S 6X6, Canada. pbeck@health.gov.sk.ca

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12725884

The study investigated the association of statin use and breast cancer. The study included 13,592 statin users and 53,880 nonexposed subjects who were followed for up to 8.5 years.

The study found that women using statins had a 9% increased risk of breast cancer compared to women not exposed to statins.

Long term use of statins increases the risk of breast cancer

This study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2013 Jul 5

Study title and authors:
Long-term statin use and risk of ductal and lobular breast cancer among women 55-74 years of age.

McDougall JA, Malone KE, Daling JR, Cushing-Haugen KL, Porter PL, Li CI.
Epidemiology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23833125

This study investigated the relationship between long term statin use and the risk of breast cancer. The study included 916 women with invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer and 1,068 women with invasive lobular carcinoma breast cancer who were compared with 902 women free of breast cancer. The women were aged between 55-74 years.

The study found:
(a) Current users of statins for 10 years or longer had a 83% increased risk of invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer compared to women who had never used statins.
(b) Current users of statins for 10 years or longer had a 97% increased risk of invasive lobular carcinoma breast cancer compared to women who had never used statins.

McDougall concluded: "All statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase at the rate-limiting step of the mevalonate pathway, an intricate biochemical pathway required for the production of cholesterol, isoprenoids, dolichol, ubiquinone, and isopentenyladine. Laboratory studies have investigated how disrupting the melavonate pathway may lead to carcinogenesis. Our finding of an increased risk only among current long-term statin users suggests that the chronic dysregulation of the mevalonate pathway and/or long-termlowering of serum cholesterol may contribute to breast carcinogenesis".

Women using statins for more than five years have a 27% increased risk of breast cancer

This study was published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention 2007 Mar;16(3):416-21

 

Study title and authors:

Statin use and breast cancer risk in a large population-based setting.

Boudreau DM, Yu O, Miglioretti DL, Buist DS, Heckbert SR, Daling JR.

Group Health, Center for Health Studies, Suite 1600, 1730 Minor Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101, USA. boudreau.d@ghc.org

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17372235

The objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between statin use and breast cancer risk. The study included 92,788 women, aged 45 to 89, who were followed for 6.4 years.

The study found:
(a) Statin users had a 7.4% inceased risk of breast cancer compared to non users.
(b) A longer duration of statin use led to an increased risk of breast cancer:
(i) Statin use of three to 4.9 years was associated with a 4% increased risked of breast cancer.
(ii) Statin use of over five years was associated with a 27% increased risked of breast cancer.

The data from the study shows that statin use is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, and the longer the duration of statin use - the higher the risk of breast cancer.

Increased risk of breast cancer related to statin use

This study was published in Anticancer Research 2009 Dec;29(12):5143-8

Study title and authors:

Statins and breast cancer in postmenopausal women without hormone therapy.

Eaton M, Eklof J, Beal JR, Sahmoun AE.

University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20044629

This study investigated the association between statin use and risk of breast cancer among overweight or obese postmenopausal women who have never used hormone therapy. The study included 95 women with breast cancer and 94 controls. The women were aged from 55 to 81 years old and had a body mass index over 25.0 kg/m2.

The study found:
(a) Women who used statins had a 30% increased risk of breast cancer compared to women not using statins.
(b) Women who used lovastatin, simvastatin, fluvastatin, or atorvastatin type statins had a 310% increased risk of breast cancer.

This study found an increased risk of breast cancer related to statin use in overweight postmenopausal women.

Links to other studies:
Young women who are treated with statins may be at increased risk for the development of breast cancer
Statins may promote cancer in certain segments of the population