Statin use does not increase cancer risk

Long-term statin use is unlikely to affect overall cancer risk, a new large study has found. Presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Philadelphia Tuesday, the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort study surveyed 133,000 participants who filled out a questionnaire about lifestyle factors, medical factors, and statin use. Ten years later, 15,000 people developed cancer, but the use of statins appeared to have no adverse impact on cancer rates. Furthermore, researchers found that statin use for 5+ years may decrease the risk of developing endometrial tumors by 39 percent and melanoma by 19 percent; however, neither of these associations has been seen in other studies.

Previous studies have found a correlation between statin-induced low LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels and cancer development, “but the current study finds that there is no basis for such concern,” says ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross. “However, it was not a peer-reviewed study and needs further investigation. This study’s finding that statins do not impact overall cancer risk agrees with other research indicating that there is no causal relationship between statins, low LDL, and cancer risk.”