Have researchers discovered a link between cholesterol and cancer?
National Monitor, Staff | November 08, 2012=============================================
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Statins could serve cancer patients, according to a new study.
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New research finds that statins — widely prescribed drugs used to help prevent death from heart disease — may lead to a lower rate of death among cancer patients.
A report published in Thursday’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine is one of a number of recent papers suggesting that statins not only limit the growth of cancer cells but also make them more vulnerable to certain therapies. New trials have shown that the medications not only effectively lower “bad” LDL cholesterol in those with elevated levels but more importantly, lower the risk of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease or a stroke.
Researchers in Denmark analyzed data from nearly 300,000 citizens 40 years and older — who were diagnosed with cancer from 1995 to 2007. More than 18 thousand had used statins regularly before diagnosis and more than 277 thousand had never used the drugs. Patients were followed for a minimum of two-years. Among cancer patients who were older than 40, more than 18,720 had regularly used statins prior to their diagnosis and over 277,000 never had used the drugs. Through the more than 1,072,500 person-years of patient follow-up, more than 162,050 people died due to cancer, 14,490 died of cardiovascular causes, while 19,035 from other causes, reported researchers.
“Regular statin use before and after a diagnosis of cancer could theoretically reduce cancer-related mortality,” wrote study leader Sune F. Nielsen, a biochemist at the University of Copenhagen who based his findings on an analysis of more than 5.5 million people in Denmark.
The results showed a reduction in cancer-related deaths of up to 15 percent among those who took statins. This was the case for more than 13 types of the disease.
While the newly published research is the latest indication that statins could lead to a lower rate of death, researchers warned that additional research is necessary.
“Additional research will be needed to clarify if and how statins might influence survival in cancer patients,” he says.
Some researchers questioned the findings, saying they remain wary. Researchers say the therapeutic use of statins may be considered when no other good chemotherapy option is available for a particular cancer type, rather than replacing chemotherapy outright.
“We have now investigated 69,000 Danes to see how many have hereditary high blood cholesterol and have undergone sufficient treatment for the disease. We can see that out of 137 people in Denmark 1 has hereditary high blood cholesterol. That corresponds to 40,000 people with the disease in the Danish population of 5.5 million,” said Dr. Børge Nordestgaard, clinical professor at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, and senior physician at Herlev Hospital.
The new study appears in the Nov. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
==============================================
Statins could serve cancer patients, according to a new study.
=============================================
New research finds that statins — widely prescribed drugs used to help prevent death from heart disease — may lead to a lower rate of death among cancer patients.
A report published in Thursday’s edition of the New England Journal of Medicine is one of a number of recent papers suggesting that statins not only limit the growth of cancer cells but also make them more vulnerable to certain therapies. New trials have shown that the medications not only effectively lower “bad” LDL cholesterol in those with elevated levels but more importantly, lower the risk of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease or a stroke.
Researchers in Denmark analyzed data from nearly 300,000 citizens 40 years and older — who were diagnosed with cancer from 1995 to 2007. More than 18 thousand had used statins regularly before diagnosis and more than 277 thousand had never used the drugs. Patients were followed for a minimum of two-years. Among cancer patients who were older than 40, more than 18,720 had regularly used statins prior to their diagnosis and over 277,000 never had used the drugs. Through the more than 1,072,500 person-years of patient follow-up, more than 162,050 people died due to cancer, 14,490 died of cardiovascular causes, while 19,035 from other causes, reported researchers.
“Regular statin use before and after a diagnosis of cancer could theoretically reduce cancer-related mortality,” wrote study leader Sune F. Nielsen, a biochemist at the University of Copenhagen who based his findings on an analysis of more than 5.5 million people in Denmark.
The results showed a reduction in cancer-related deaths of up to 15 percent among those who took statins. This was the case for more than 13 types of the disease.
While the newly published research is the latest indication that statins could lead to a lower rate of death, researchers warned that additional research is necessary.
“Additional research will be needed to clarify if and how statins might influence survival in cancer patients,” he says.
Some researchers questioned the findings, saying they remain wary. Researchers say the therapeutic use of statins may be considered when no other good chemotherapy option is available for a particular cancer type, rather than replacing chemotherapy outright.
“We have now investigated 69,000 Danes to see how many have hereditary high blood cholesterol and have undergone sufficient treatment for the disease. We can see that out of 137 people in Denmark 1 has hereditary high blood cholesterol. That corresponds to 40,000 people with the disease in the Danish population of 5.5 million,” said Dr. Børge Nordestgaard, clinical professor at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, and senior physician at Herlev Hospital.
The new study appears in the Nov. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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