Is statin use associated with prostate cancer aggressiveness?
OBJECTIVE
To further examine the association between statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) and pathological features in a large group of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP), as epidemiological studies have suggested that statins, in addition to their beneficial cardiovascular effects, might reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer.


METHODS
From 2003 to 2009, 1351 men with data on preoperative statin use had RP by one surgeon. The clinical and pathological tumour features were compared between 504 users of statins and 847 who were not users.


RESULTS
Statin users were significantly older and had a higher mean body mass index than non-users. The preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen levels, tumour volume and percentage of cancer in the RP specimen were significantly lower in patients taking statins. Overall, statin users had a proportionately lower rate of adverse tumour pathology features, including a significantly lower risk of positive (cancerous) surgical margins.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the use of statins might be associated with more favourable pathological features at RP. The long-term disease-specific outcomes and the underlying link between statins and prostate cancer require further investigation.
Loeb
Stacy
S
Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Kan
Donghui
D
Helfand
Brian T
BT
Nadler
Robert B
RB
Catalona
William J
WJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D047368:Tumor Burden
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen