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STATIN drugs are proven to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart attacks, but researchers said recently the best-selling medications do not ward off cancer as some earlier studies have suggested.
Preliminary studies showed lower rates of breast, prostate and colon cancers among statin users. But an analysis of 26 studies involving 87,000 patients concluded the drugs had no impact on cancer rates, according to their report published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"When we put all the trials together we were hopeful of validating a cancer- protective effect, but we ended up not finding any," study author Michael White of the University of Connecticut and Hartford Hospital said in a telephone interview.
Another study, by the American Cancer Society, reviewed data on more than 130,000 patients in the United States and found no effect on colon cancer rates between those who used statins and those who did not.
Their findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute's January 04 issue.
Statins, the most prescribed drugs in the world, include Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor, Merck & Co Inc.'s Zocor, Bristol-Myers Squibb's Pravachol, Merck's Mevacor and Novartis AG's Lescol.
'IT'S COME FULL CIRCLE'
White said studies that found a link between statin use and protection against cancer checked databases of patients with or without cancer, then looked backward for statin use.
These so-called case-controlled studies do not prove anything, he said.
In contrast, his team dug into data from randomized studies where patients were recruited and divided into groups to be given statins or a placebo to measure effectiveness against heart disease. The studies also tracked cancer cases because of early concerns that statins might cause or promote cancer.
"It's come full circle-first they thought it was a great drug for heart disease that might cause cancer, then they thought it might prevent cancer. But we now know they can take the drug safely without risk of cancer," White said.
The analysis also looked at particular statin drugs and different kinds of cancers to see if there were any relationships. It found none.
"We don't want to dilute the positives from statins ... but if you don't have heart disease and take them to prevent cancer, that's not a good reason," White said.
In the American Cancer Society study, researchers analyzed information from patients in a larger cancer prevention study that began in 1992.
Patients were later asked about their use of cholesterol-lowering drugs as well as if they had been diagnosed with colon cancer. Cancer cases were also matched through a government database.
Lead author Eric Jacobs, an epidemiologist for the cancer research and advocacy group, said that approach allowed them to look at more long-term data that still found statins had no effect on cancer risk.
Jacobs added that other researchers will probably continue to investigate a possible link, but "it's not especially promising."
Reuters
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