| Authors | Poynter JN, Gruber SB, Higgins PD, Almog R, Bonner JD, Rennert HS, Low M, Greenson JK, Rennert G. | |
| Title | Statins
and the risk of colorectal cancer. |
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| Full source | N Engl J Med. 2005 May 26;352(21):2184-92. | |
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 Per scorrere le diapositive |
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| Abstract | BACKGROUND:
Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase
and effective lipid-lowering agents. Statins inhibit the growth of colon-cancer
cell lines, and secondary analyses of some, but not all, clinical trials
suggest that they reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. METHODS: The Molecular
Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer study is a population-based case-control
study of patients who received a diagnosis of colorectal cancer in northern
Israel between 1998 and 2004 and controls matched according to age, sex,
clinic, and ethnic group. We used a structured interview to determine the
use of statins in the two groups and verified self-reported statin use by
examining prescription records in a subgroup of patients for whom prescription
records were available. RESULTS: In analyses including 1953 patients with
colorectal cancer and 2015 controls, the use of statins for at least five
years (vs. the nonuse of statins) was associated with a significantly reduced
relative risk of colorectal cancer (odds ratio, 0.50; 95 percent confidence
interval, 0.40 to 0.63). This association remained significant after adjustment
for the use or nonuse of aspirin or other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory
drugs; the presence or absence of physical activity, hypercholesterolemia,
and a family history of colorectal cancer; ethnic group; and level of vegetable
consumption (odds ratio, 0.53; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.38 to 0.74).
The use of fibric-acid derivatives was not associated with a significantly
reduced risk of colorectal cancer (odds ratio, 1.08; 95 percent confidence
interval, 0.59 to 2.01). Self-reported statin use was confirmed for 276
of the 286 participants (96.5 percent) who reported using statins and whose
records were available. CONCLUSIONS: The use of statins was associated with
a 47 percent relative reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer after adjustment
for other known risk factors. Because the absolute risk reduction is likely
low, further investigation of the overall benefits of statins in preventing
colorectal cancer is warranted |
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