Statins didn't change cancer risk in large metaanalysis.(Clinical Rounds)

Statins neither raise nor lower the risk of cancer or cancer mortality, according to a metaanalysis of 26 randomized clinical trials.

Several retrospective studies have suggested that statins reduce the risk of developing cancer by as much as 50%. Some researchers have proposed that the drugs may inhibit carcinogenesis by decreasing systemic inflammation, interfering with neovascular formation, and inhibiting cell proliferation.

However, three metaanalyses have failed to confirm that statins exert a protective effect against cancer, and some investigators have noted that statins have properties that could actually enhance cancer risk, such as inhibiting selenoprotein synthesis and impairing the function of natural killer cells.

To shed light on the issue, Krista M. Dale, Pharm.D., of the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Hartford, and her associates conducted a much larger metaanalysis of 26 randomized clinical trials involving 86,936 subjects. The participants were followed up for 2-10 years for the development of cancer.

The trials included only placebo-controlled or standard treatment--controlled studies enrolling a minimum of 100 subjects each.

Most of these trials assessed the ability of statins to prevent coronary artery disease, but all examined cancer diagnosis or cancer death as a primary or secondary end ...