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Statin use may slow prostate cancer progression
Source: (cancerfacts.com)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
DURHAM, North Carolina – Feb. 24, 2010 – Men who took statins to lower their cholesterol before prostate cancer surgery had significantly lower inflammation within prostate tumors. Inflammation within tumors has been associated with cancer progression and more aggressive tumor growth, say researchers.
Led by Dr. Lionel Bañez, an assistant professor of surgery and urology at Duke and the lead author of the study, the researchers examined the inflammation levels of tumor tissue removed from men who had undergone surgery for their prostate cancer.
"We found that preoperative statin use was associated with a 69 percent lower risk of intra-tumoral inflammation," said Bañez said in a prepared statement. "We also discovered a trend suggesting greater risk-reduction with higher doses of the drugs."
Previous population-based studies have linked prostate cancer with high cholesterol levels and Western diets high in cholesterol. Other studies have shown that statins reduce inflammation throughout the circulatory system.
Based on that research, the Duke researchers were interested in finding out if the drugs reduced inflammation inside tumors, so-called intra-tumoral inflammation, which is believed to contribute to cancer recurrence after surgery. The study appears online in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
The Duke researchers examined tissue samples of tumors from 236 men undergoing surgery for prostate cancer at the Durham VA Medical Center. Researchers identified the samples as coming from statin-users or non-users, tracked the dose and frequency among the users, and graded the degree of inflammation in the tissue samples as absent, mild, or marked.
They found that 37 patients (16 percent) took statins during the year prior to their prostate surgeries. Most of the statin users (92 percent) were on simvastatin (Zocor®). Among all patients, 82 percent had inflammatory cells in their prostate tumors, with roughly one-third registering marked tumor inflammation.
After taking into consideration factors such as age, race, body mass index and other clinical variables, investigators found that statin use was associated with reduced inflammation within the tumors. Older patients with more advanced cancers were most likely to have tumor inflammation and have the longest times from biopsy to surgery.
"Increasing evidence suggests that statins may reduce risk of prostate cancer progression, and some studies have even suggested that widespread statin use over the past 15 years has contributed to a decline in prostate cancer mortality," says Bañez.
The researchers, however, hasten to caution against drawing the conclusion that all prostate cancer patients should take a statin.
"More studies have to be done before such a recommendation can be made," says Dr. Stephen Freedland, associate professor of urology and pathology in the Duke Prostate Center at Duke University and the senior author of the study. "However, men taking statins for heart health may already be enjoying a beneficial side effect against prostate cancer."
The study was funded by the Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Duke University Division of Urology and Department of Surgery and the American Urological Foundation/Astellas Rising Star in Urology Award.
"If these findings are validated in additional studies, it would support the hypothesis that statins delay prostate cancer progression, in part, by reducing inflammation inside the tumor," Bañez said.
SOURCE: adapted from press materials provided by Duke University School of Medicine, regarding: "Association between Statins and Prostate Tumor Inflammatory Infiltrate in Men Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy" Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention Published Online First Feb. 16, 2010; doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-09-1074
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