Cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as Lipitor, appear to reduce inflammation in prostate tissue and hinder cancer growth, according to a study led by researchers in the Duke University Prostate Center. Their findings were presented at the American Urological Association's annual meeting last week. "Previous studies have shown that men taking statins seem to have a lower incidence of advanced prostate cancer, but the mechanisms by which statins might be affecting the prostate remained largely unknown," said Lionel Ba�ez, lead investigator on this study. "We looked at tumor samples and found that men who were on statins had a 72 percent reduction in risk for tumor inflammation, and we believe this might play a role in the connection between prostate cancer and statin use."
The study involved examining the tumors of 254 men who underwent surgery to remove the entire prostate as a treatment for prostate cancer at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The tissue was graded by a pathologist for inflammation on a scale of 0 to 2: 0 for no inflammation, 1 for mild inflammation (less than 10 percent of the tumor) and 2 for marked inflammation (greater than 10 percent of the tumor).
"This finding provides a potential mechanism of action for statins' effects on prostate cancer biology," Ba�ez said. Other Duke Prostate Center research has found that inflammation in tumors is associated with recurrent prostate cancer, so these two findings, taken together, provide more impetus for considering the use of statins to possibly control or prevent prostate cancer, Ba�ez added.
"We're not there yet, though," said co-researcher Stephen Freedland. "Though very promising, more work has to be done before we recommend that men go out and start taking statins as a path toward better prostate health."
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Source: Duke University Medical Center
