title: [Effects of statins in cancer].
abstract: This review explores the evidence supporting a potential benefit of statins in cancer. In particular, the lipophilic forms (i.e. lovastatin, simvastatin, or similar) would have a therapeutic but not a preventive role. The pleiotropic effects that statins possess mainly explain this phenomenon, influencing the natural history of disease and the response to currently available therapies. By inhibiting the mevalonate pathway, statins would have a systemic effect, similar to that observed in atherosclerosis, reducing the inflammatory stimuli present in the tumor micro-environment and inhibiting the activation of intracellular signaling cascades critical for proliferation, migration/invasion and metastasis of the cancer cell. Despite all this evidence, randomized trials are needed to confirm the benefit of statins on cancer, before promoting their widespread use as a therapeutic or preventive strategy for this condition.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Oncología, División de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. macuello@med.puc.cl
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuello F
authors.forename: Sumie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato C
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Díaz S
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors