Cholesterol-lowering drugs and advanced prostate cancer incidence in a large U.S. cohort.
BACKGROUND
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase inhibitors, commonly known as statins, account for the great majority of cholesterol-lowering drug use in the United States. Long-duration statin use was associated with substantially reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer in a recent large prospective study.


METHODS
We examined the association between use of cholesterol-lowering drugs and prostate cancer incidence by disease stage and grade among 55,454 men in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort. Proportional hazards modeling was used to calculate RRs.


RESULTS
During follow-up from 1997 to 2003, we identified 3,413 cases of incident prostate cancer, including 317 cases of advanced prostate cancer. After adjustment for age, history of prostate-specific antigen testing, and other potential prostate cancer risk factors, current use of cholesterol-lowering drugs for 5 or more years was not associated with overall prostate cancer incidence (multivariate adjusted rate ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-1.20), but was associated with a marginally statistically significant reduction in risk of advanced prostate cancer (rate ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-1.00).


CONCLUSIONS
These results provide some support for the hypothesis that long-term statin use is associated with reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer.
Jacobs
Eric J
EJ
Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA 30303-1002, USA. Eric.Jacobs@cancer.org
Rodriguez
Carmen
C
Bain
Elizabeth B
EB
Wang
Yiting
Y
Thun
Michael J
MJ
Calle
Eugenia E
EE
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen