Statin Use and the Risk of Breast Cancer
November 20th, 2007 | by Mark Sapienza, M.D. |
Statins, a class of drugs used to treat lipid disorders, were found to not be associated with the development of breast cancer in women. Prior studies in vitro and in rodents have suggested an anti-tumor effect but analysis of data from cancer registries in several states has shown no link between use of statins or risk of breast cancer. There was no difference in risk between the type of statin drug; either lypophilic (simvastatin, lovastatin and fluvastatin) or hydrophlic (pravastatin). The data was based on women over the age of 50 diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 1995-2001 obtained from cancer registries in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Reference: Pocobelli G. et al, Cancer. 2007 Nov 15
Tags: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cholesterol medicine, Statins