Statin use and reduced cancer-related mortality
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: A reduction in the availability of cholesterol may limit the cellular proliferation required for cancer growth and metastasis. We tested the hypothesis that statin use begun before a cancer diagnosis is associated with reduced cancer-related mortality. METHODS: We assessed mortality among patients from the entire Danish population who had received a diagnosis of cancer between 1995 and 2007, with follow-up until December 31, 2009. Among patients 40 years of age or older, 18,721 had used statins regularly before the cancer diagnosis and 277,204 had never used statins. RESULTS: Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for statin users, as compared with patients who had never used statins, were 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83 to 0.87) for death from any cause and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82 to 0.87) for death from cancer. Adjusted hazard ratios for death from any cause according to the defined daily statin dose (the assumed average maintenance dose per day) were 0.82 (95% CI, 0.81 to 0.85) for a dose of 0.01 to 0.75 defined daily dose per day, 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83 to 0.89) for 0.76 to 1.50 defined daily dose per day, and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.81 to 0.91) for higher than 1.50 defined daily dose per day; the corresponding hazard ratios for death from cancer were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.81 to 0.86), 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83 to 0.91), and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.81 to 0.92). The reduced cancer-related mortality among statin users as compared with those who had never used statins was observed for each of 13 cancer types. CONCLUSIONS: Statin use in patients with cancer is associated with reduced cancer-related mortality. This suggests a need for trials of statins in patients with cancer.
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Use of statins is associated with increased time to breast cancer recurrence.
“use of cholesterol lowering medication (statins) is associated with increased time to breast cancer recurrence (7–9).”
From Cholesterol efflux protein, ABCA1, supports anticancer functions of myeloid immune cells (2026) · cites this paper as [9]
Increased prescription of statins itself appears to be associated with increased non-adherence or discontinuation, as illustrated for Denmark over the period 1995-2010.
“Furthermore, increased prescription of statins itself appears to be associated with increased non-adherence or discontinuation, as illustrated for Denmark over the period 1995–2010 (Figure 1).26,27”
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“On the other hand, use of cholesterol lowering medication (statins) is associated with increased time to breast cancer recurrence ( 9 – 11 ).”
- Authors
- Nielsen, S. F., Nordestgaard, B. G., & Bojesen, S. E.
- Affiliations
- Herlev Hospital (DK)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Venue
- New England Journal of Medicine
- Publisher
- Massachusetts Medical Society
- Published
- 2012-11-08
- Volume
- 367
- Issue
- 19
- Pages
- 1792-1802
- ISSN
- 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
- 1533-4406
- OpenAlex
- W2157624452
- Cited by
- 1,030
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 37 · 2025: 66 · 2024: 51 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 77 · 2021: 77 · 2020: 95 · 2019: 71 · 2018: 76 · 2017: 80 · 2016: 85 · 2015: 84 · 2014: 88 · 2013: 79 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 27.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Lipids, and Metabolism
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
- Keywords
- statins, cancer mortality, cancer survivors, cholesterol, statin dose, cancer prevention, drug repurposing
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cause of Death, Denmark, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Incidence, Proportional Hazards Models, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Diabetes Complications
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