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

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.