Statin medications are commonly prescribed to improve patients’ cholesterol profiles and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some evidence suggests that statin use may also slow prostate cancer progression and improve survival for some patients. The mechanisms of these effects aren’t yet understood, but laboratory data suggest that statins may prevent PCa progression through a variety of cholesterol-dependent and cholesterol-independent mechanisms. Interestingly, effects seem to be synergistic with ADT.
Authors of a newly published Canadian study looked into this further. To do so, they examined retrospective data from a group of men who were starting on ADT following a biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer. Their study included 1,364 men, who were initiating intermittent or continuous ADT after completing radiotherapy. Almost half of these men (585) were also taking statin medications.
Results: After a median follow-up of ~7 years, statin use combined with ADT was associated with significant improvements in overall survival and prostate cancer-specific survival. In addition, men on intermittent ADT who were taking statins had more (total) time off treatment versus those who were not taking statins.
The results provide strong impetus for prospective clinical trials involving statins and ADT. Overall, this study contributes additional evidence to support the potential benefit of statin use in men on ADT.
To read the study abstract, see: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33390282/
Hamilton, R. J., Ding, K., Crook, J. M., O'Callaghan, C. J., Higano, C. S., Dearnaley, D. P., Horwitz, E. M., Goldenberg, S. L., Gospodarowicz, M. K., & Klotz, L. (2020). The Association Between Statin Use and Outcomes in Patients Initiating Androgen Deprivation Therapy. European urology, S0302-2838(20)31017-4. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2020.12.031