Statins are Not Associated with Reduced Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Previous studies which investigated the association between statins, the most commonly used type of cholesterol lowering drug, and colorectal cancer incidence, produced mixed results. In contrast, a recent large study, conducted by the Molecular Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer (MECC) study, which included almost 4000 people, showed that statin use for a period of more than 5 years was associated with a 47% reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer.
Eric J. Jacobs, Ph.D., of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues investigated the association between use of cholesterol-lowering drugs and colorectal cancer risk in the 132,136 men and women enrolled in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort.
Researchers identified 815 cases of colorectal cancer in cohort participants during the period from 1997 to 2001. They found that use of cholesterol-lowering drugs, even use for 5 or more years, was not associated with colorectal cancer incidence.
Their results do not support the hypothesis that statins, as a class of drugs, strongly reduce risk of colorectal cancer.
Source: News-Medical
Filed under Cancer, Health, Heart Disease
