Statins associated with a 21% increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer

This study was published in the British Journal of Cancer 2016 Jan 7

 

Study title and authors:

Relation of statin use with non-melanoma skin cancer: prospective results from the Women's Health Initiative.

Wang A, Stefanick ML, Kapphahn K, Hedlin H, Desai M, Manson JA, Strickler H, Martin L, Wactawski-Wende J, Simon M, Tang JY.

Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 450 Broadway Street, Pavilion B, 4th Floor MC 5338, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26742009

The study investigated the relationship between statin use and non-melanoma skin cancer. The study included 118,357 women, aged 50-79 years, who were followed for 10.5 years.

The study found that women who used statins had a 21% increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer compared to women who did not use statins.

Links to other studies:
Long term statin use increases the risk of basal cell carcinoma by 30%
Statin users have a 14% increased risk of melanoma
Statin users have a 25% increased risk of developing Merkel cell carcinoma

The association between statins and prostate cancer

This study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2007 Nov;16(11):2226-32

 

Study title and authors:

Cholesterol-lowering drugs and prostate cancer risk: a population-based case-control study.

Murtola TJ, Tammela TL, Lahtela J, Auvinen A.

School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere, FIN-33014, Finland. teemu.murtola@uta.fi

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18006910

This study evaluated the association between cholesterol-lowering medication use and prostate cancer risk. The study included all newly diagnosed prostate cancer cases in Finland during 1995 to 2002 and matched controls (24,723 case control pairs).

The study found:
(a) Those taking statins had a 7% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to those not taking statins.
(b) Those taking fibrates had a 5% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to those not taking fibrates.
(c) Those taking other cholesterol lowering medications (resins and acipimox) had a 16% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to those not taking cholesterol lowering medications.
(d) Those with 14-167 cumulative daily doses of statins had a 6% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to those not taking statins.
(e) Those with 915-6,781 cumulative daily doses of statins had a 13% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to those not taking statins. 

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 associated with increased risk of prostate cancer

This study was published in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases 2005;8(4):316-20

Study title and authors:
Hypertriglyceridemia as a possible risk factor for prostate cancer.

Wuermli L, Joerger M, Henz S, Schmid HP, Riesen WF, Thomas G, Krek W, Cerny T, Gillessen S.
Department of Internal Medicine, Kantonsspital St.Gallen, Switzerland.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16158078

This study assessed various factors in patients with prostate cancer and compared them with patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. (Benign prostatic hyperplasia is an increase in size of the prostate gland without malignancy present and it is so common as to be normal with advancing age). The study included 504 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer and 565 age-matched patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Regarding statins, the study found that statin usage was 23% higher in the patients that had developed prostate cancer compared to the patients with an enlarged prostate.

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 associated with an 88% increased risk of recurrence of bladder cancer

This study was published in BMC Cancer 2015 Mar 13;15:120

 

Study title and authors:

Can daily intake of aspirin and/or statins influence the behavior of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer? A retrospective study on a cohort of patients undergoing transurethral bladder resection.

Pastore A, Palleschi G, Fuschi A, Silvestri L, Al Salhi Y, Costantini E, Zucchi A, Petrozza V, de Nunzio C, Carbone A.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25877676

Transurethral  bladder resection is a surgical procedure that is used both to diagnose bladder cancer and to remove cancerous tissue from the bladder.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between  non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and statins or aspirin in patients submitted to transurethral bladder resection. The study, (which included 574 patients diagnosed with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer), was divided into two main groups: treated (aspirin and/or statins) and untreated.

Regarding statins, the study found that patients who took statins had a 88% increased risk of recurrence of bladder cancer compared to patients who did not take statins. 

Statin users of ten years have a 30% increased risk of colorectal cancer

This study was published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 2008 Sep;17(9):869-76

Study title and authors:
Chronic statin therapy and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Yang YX, Hennessy S, Propert K, Hwang WT, Sarkar M, Lewis JD.
Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA. yangy@mail.med.upenn.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18412290

The study sought to clarify the association between long-term statin therapy and the risk of colorectal cancer. This study was conducted among patients aged 50 years or more and with five or more years of colorectal cancer-free initial follow-up. The study included 4,432 colorectal cancer patients and 44,292 control subjects.

The study found:
(a) Those who had been taking statins for five or more years had a 10% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to non-users of statins.
(b) Those who had been taking statins for ten years had a 30% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to non-users of statins.

Statins associated with elevated risk of high-grade prostate cancer

This study was published in the European Journal of Cancer 2015 Feb 23. pii: S0959-8049(15)00124-0

 

Study title and authors:

The risk of prostate cancer for men on aspirin, statin or antidiabetic medications.

Nordström T, Clements M, Karlsson R, Adolfsson J, Grönberg H.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25727881

This study estimated the association between prescribed medications and the risk of either any prostate cancer or high-grade prostate cancer. The study included 185,667 men having a first recorded prostate specific antigen test and 18,574 men having a first prostate biopsy.

Regarding statins, the study found:
(a) Men using statins had a 16% increased risk of any prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.
(b) Men using statins had a 25% increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins. 

Nordstrom concluded: "Use of any statins was associated with an elevated risk of being diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer".

The association between statins and thyroid cancer

This study was published in Clinical Endocrinology (Oxf) 2014 Jul 30

 

Study title and authors:

Statin Use and Thyroid Cancer: A Population-Based Case-Control Study.

Hung SH, Lin HC, Chung SD.

Department of Otolaryngology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25074346

This study aimed to evaluate the association of statin use with thyroid cancer. The study included 500 subjects with thyroid cancer as cases and 2,500 gender- and age-matched subjects without thyroid cancer as controls.

The study found:
(a) Women who used statins had a 43% increased risk of thyroid cancer compared to women not taking statins.
(b) Men who used statins had a 28% increased risk of thyroid cancer compared to men not taking statins.

Statins increase the risk of serious adverse cardiovascular events

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2007 Mar 28;297(12):1344-53

 

Study title and authors:

Effect of rosuvastatin on progression of carotid intima-media thickness in low-risk individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis: the METEOR Trial.

Crouse JR 3rd, Raichlen JS, Riley WA, Evans GW, Palmer MK, O'Leary DH, Grobbee DE, Bots ML; METEOR Study Group.

Department of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. jrcrouse@wfubmc.edu

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17384434

This study investigated the effects of statins in participants with a low risk of heart disease. The two year study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 984 individuals, average age 57 years. The participants received either a daily 40-mg dose of rosuvastatin or placebo.

The study found:
(a) Cholesterol levels reduced by 33% in the statin users and remained the same in those on placebo.
(b) Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels reduced by 49% in the statin users and remained the same in those on placebo.
(c) Statin users had a 21% increased risk of death compared to placebo.
(d) Statin users had a 423% increased risk of a serious adverse cardiovascular event compared to placebo.
(e) Statin users had a 4% increased risk of any adverse event compared to placebo.
(f) Statin users had a 5% increased risk of developing cancer compared to placebo.
(g) Statin users had a 5% increased risk of muscle pain compared to placebo.
(h) Statin users had a 121% increased risk of elevated liver enzymes compared to placebo.
(i) Statin users had a 56% increased risk of developing arthritis compared to placebo.



Long term statin use increases the risk of basal cell carcinoma by 30%

This study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2009 Jul;61(1):66-72

Study title and authors:
Statin use and risk of basal cell carcinoma.

Asgari MM, Tang J, Epstein EH Jr, Chren MM, Warton EM, Quesenberry CP Jr, Go AS, Friedman GD.
Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. maryam.m.asgari@kp.org

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19464071

The objective of the study was to examine the association between statin use and basal cell carcinoma risk. (Basal cell carcinoma is known as non-melanoma skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancer refers to a group of cancers that slowly develop in the upper layers of the skin). The study included 12,123 patients, average age 64 years, who had been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. They were followed for an average of 4.25 years and 6,381 patients developed a subsequent basal cell carcinoma during follow-up.

The study found:
(a) Those that used statins had a 2% increased risk of subsequent basal cell carcinoma compared to those that did not use statins.
(b) Those that used statins for five years or more had a 30% increased risk of subsequent basal cell carcinoma compared to those that did not use statins.
(c) Those that used other cholesterol lowering drugs (such as gemfibrozil, niacin, cholestyramine, colestipol,  niacinamide and fenofibrate) had a 10% increased risk of subsequent basal cell carcinoma compared to nonusers.

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".

Doctor says there is no evidence that statins are safe

This paper was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal May 6: 2008

Study title and author:
Statins - Safe?
Dr Herbert H. Nehrlich

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.cmaj.ca/content/178/5/576.abstract/reply#content-block

Dr Nehrlich, a doctor from Australia, discusses the effects of statin drugs.

(i) Statins reduce the body's production of mevalonate through the suppression of a liver enzyme called hydroxymethylglutaryl (HMG) coenzyme A reductase.
(ii) This enzyme is crucial in enabling the body to synthesize such substances as cholesterol, Co-enzyme Q-10 etc., substances that are essential for every living cell.
(iii) So, if you reduce the supply of mevalonate, the liver can no longer keep up production of sufficient cholesterol and has to slow the shipping of cholesterol from the depot (liver) to the various areas in need of it via the bloodstream. Hence, blood cholesterol will be lower in lab tests.
(iv) Mevalonate is not just important in this respect but is heavily involved in muscle metabolism as well as in the production of thromboxane. Thromboxane, of course, is the agent responsible for the important stage in healing called clotting and originates in the platelets of our blood.
(v) Mitochondria are energy factories that MUST have coenzyme Q- 10, the very substance that is in short supply when people undergo statin treatment.
(vi) The dismal success record of statin treatment, combined with their sometimes atrocious side effects (identified and hidden) makes the prescription of statins in humans an assault with unknown and likely dire consequences.
(vii) People tend to die with low cholesterol blood levels.
(viii) May I ask for the studies that have shown that lowering cholesterol is reasonable and thus good practice? Statins are safe? Let us look at the PROSPER Trial and the all cause mortality. It is not improved by statins.
(ix) I prefer to see cholesterol as an extremely vital substance, essential for good health and indispensable when it comes to repair and maintenance of the body.
(x) Statins are now Big Pharma's golden goose and the price of gold is rising.
(xi) If we think of rhabdomyolysis, of transient global amnesia and of the propensity of statins to initiate cancer in many animals, if we consider the truly dismal success of statin treatment then we can skip looking at the plausibility of using these drugs altogether.
(xii) Statins are mayhem to Coenzyme Q-10 and it follows that statins may thus weaken the heart. They may cause cancer in humans.

Dr Nehrlich concludes: "There is no evidence that statins are safe".

Men taking statins have an 11% increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer

This study was published in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases 2013 Apr 9

Study title and authors:
Statin use and risk of prostate cancer and high-grade prostate cancer: results from the REDUCE study.

Freedland SJ, Hamilton RJ, Gerber L, Banez LL, Moreira DM, Andriole GL, Rittmaster RS.
Surgery Section, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23567655

This study examined the association between statins and prostate cancer and low-grade and high-grade prostate cancer. The study included 6,729 men, aged 50-75 years, who were followed for four years. (low-grade cancer is likely to develop more slowly than high-grade cancer).

The study found:
(a) Men taking statins had a 5% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.
(b) Men taking statins had a 3% increased risk of low-grade prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.
(c) Men taking statins had an 11% increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer compared to men not taking statins.

Men taking statins developed prostate cancer more frequently than men not taking statins. 

Long-term statin users have a 21% increased risk of bladder cancer compared to non-users

This paper was published in Cancer Causes and Control 2013 Apr;24(4):769-76

 

Study title and authors:

Statin use and risk of bladder cancer: a meta-analysis.

Zhang XL, Geng J, Zhang XP, Peng B, Che JP, Yan Y, Wang GC, Xia SQ, Wu Y, Zheng JH.

Department of Urology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, 301 Yanchang Road, Shanghai, 200072, People's Republic of China.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23361339

This paper analysed the scientific data between January 1966 and October 2012 to quantify the association between statin use and risk of bladder cancer. A total of 13 studies contributed to the analysis.

The paper found:
(a) Statin users had a 7% increased risk of bladder cancer compared to non-users.
(b) Long-term statin users had a 21% increased risk of bladder cancer compared to non-users.

The data from the analysis shows that statins users have more bladder cancer than non-users.

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.

Rosuvastatin (Crestor) is associated with a 2.8-fold increased risk of lung cancer

This study was published in the Libyan Journal of Medicine 2012 Dec 27;7(0):1-3

 

Study title and authors:

Statins use and female lung cancer risk in Taiwan.

Lai SW, Liao KF, Lin CL, Sung FC, Cheng YH.

School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Family Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23272648

This study investigated the assoiation between statins and lung cancer in women. The study included 1,117 women with newly diagnosed lung cancer, average age 66.5 years, who were compared to 4,468 age-matched women without lung cancer.

The study found:
(a) Statin use was associated with a 7% increased risk of lung cancer.
(b) Rosuvastatin (Crestor) use of over 12 months duration was associated with a 2.8-fold increased risk of lung cancer.

The data from the study reveals that statin use is associated with higher rates of lung cancer.

In patients undergoing treatment for bladder cancer, statins are significantly associated with an increased risk of tumor progression

This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine 2006 Dec 21;355(25):2705-7

 

Study title and authors:

Use of statins and outcome of BCG treatment for bladder cancer.

Hoffmann P, Roumeguère T, Schulman C, van Velthoven R.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17183004

This study investigated the association between statins and bladder cancer. The study, which lasted for 46 months, analyzed the clinical outcomes of 84 patients who had received the bacille Calmette–Guérin vaccine for the treatment of non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

The study found:
(a) In 53% of the patients who took statins, the tumor became more aggressive, whereas this change occurred in only 18% of the patients who did not take statins.
(b) 42% of the patients in the statin group had to undergo radical cystectomy, (radical cystectomy is the removal of the entire bladder, nearby lymph nodes, part of the urethra, and nearby organs that may contain cancer cells), as compared with only 14% of the patients who did not take statins.

In patients undergoing treatment for bladder cancer, the use of statins was significantly associated with an increased risk of tumor progression and a subsequent need for radical cystectomy.