title: Long-term statin therapy improves oncological outcome after radical gastrectomy for stage II and III gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although several epidemiological studies have indicated that statins may have antitumor properties, the effect of statins on patient survival after curative resection of gastric cancer is unknown. The aim of the present study was to determine whether statin use could improve long-term outcomes after radical gastrectomy. PATIENS AND METHODS: We conducted a matched case-control study of 65 statin users and 176 non-users who underwent radical gastrectomy for stage II and III gastric cancer from January 2006 to December 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found in recurrence-free survival (RFS) or overall survival (OS) between statin users and non-users. However, subgroup analysis showed that patients who used statins for more than six months had more favorable outcomes than non-users or those who used statins for less than six months [adjusted hazard ratio of death (non-users as reference); statin use <6 months: 2.405, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.056-5.477 and statin use >6 months: 0.168, 95% CI=0.032-0.881, p=0.006].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statin use did not improve RFS or OS after curative resection of stage II or III gastric cancer in the overall study population. However, statin use of more than six months was associated with increased survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Korea. leehyuk@yuhs.ac, leehyuk.dr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dong Hyuk
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Hyuk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jun Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung Kwan
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Sang Kil
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Woo Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hyung
authors.forename: Yong Chan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min Woong
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Noh
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: Gastric cancer; radical gastrectomy; statin therapy