Statins and PCa reoccurrence

This article was just released that demonstrated that lipophilic statins (Lipitor, Zocor) may reduce the reoccurrence rates of prostate cancer in men that received prostatectomies. 

Statins also reduce the incidence of cardiac and stroke complications in patients at risk. As already discussed, more men with prostate cancer die of heart disease than cancer.

Statins May Reduce Recurrence Of Prostate Cancer.

Medscape (5/13, Mulcahy) reports on a study funded by the National Cancer Institute and published online at BJU International, “adds to the evidence that statins might interfere with prostate cancer recurrence or progression.” Researchers in a laboratory study found that lipophilic statins “have a ‘clear effect’ on reducing cancer cell migration and subsequent colonization in bone.” Hydrophilic statins were not found to have an effect. An “observational study of more than 1100 men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP),” found that “only 16% post-RP statin users (65/400) had biochemical recurrence, compared with 45% of nonusers.”

Interesting

Paul

Thanks for sharing that information clocknut. I have been worried about my slow rise in PSA since RP. I started taking Crestor a few months ago and my PSA dropped a tiny bit from .035 to .031. Keep in mind my trend was a rising PSA with no dropping at all.

My statin collection of files is running about more towards no effect or some effect. It appears to be particularly useless following RP, but may have some benefit with RT. I am officially agnostic until someone publishes a large prospective RCT. I seem to recall one recruiting in Canada. Here are just a few of the "statins are useless" files if anyone is interested:

Statin use and the risk of biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after definitive local therapy: a meta-analysis of eight cohort studies

Statins and prostate cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Preoperative Statin Therapy is not Associated with Biochemical Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy: Our Experience and Meta-Analysis

Statin Use and the Risk of Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy in a Cohort of Men With Inherited and/or Early-onset Forms of Prostate Cancer

Impact of statin use on biochemical recurrence in patients treated with radical prostatectomy

Use of statins and prostate cancer recurrence among patients treated with radical prostatectomy

However, I admit I did take statins during my SBRT and for a few months afterwards based on weak evidence that it may radiosensitize the cancer while radioprotecting healthy tissue. Taking them for high cholesterol is a much better reason.

- Allen

Allen,

How's your collection for Metformin? Similar feeling with this?

Viper- didn't know that...wonder if that is true for the Pim extract and a stain.

Thanks,
Jerry

Viperguy, I agree. The only value of these kinds of studies is that they may suggest that definitive randomized controlled trials be done. The authors are usually careful to state that, at least in the better journals, but the media are less careful.

Jerry, the studies on Metformin (and also on aspirin) are equally equivocal. For example here are a few "thumbs down" studies:

Effect of metformin on prostate cancer outcomes after radical prostatectomy

Association of diabetes mellitus and metformin use with biochemical recurrence in patients treated with radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer

Aspirin use after a prostate cancer diagnosis and cancer survival in a prospective cohort

Low-dose aspirin and survival in men with prostate cancer: a study using the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink

Until there is an RCT, none of these studies prove anything. It is left to us to decide if we want to risk taking them for the potential benefit. For drugs like statins, Metformin and aspirin, if we have no contraindications, they are generally safe in low doses. Diabetes and heart disease are serious killers, so even if these drugs had a slight potential harm to taking them, our doctors would probably prescribe them for us anyway.

- Allen