Doctors prescribe a class of drugs called statins to lower blood cholesterol. Some research has indicated that people who take statins get the extra benefit of decreasing their chance of developing colorectal cancer. A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute says otherwise.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society examined the association between cholesterol-lowering drugs and the incidence of colorectal cancer in more than 130,000 people. They found that cholesterol-lowering drugs, in general, don't impact colorectal cancer risk.
The researchers specifically noted that the study does not support the idea that statins, as a class of drugs, strongly reduce the risk of developing cancer of the colon or rectum.
Since this study didn't examine specific types of statins, it couldn't rule out the possibility that specific types and doses of statins could potentially reduce a person's risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Sources:
- Cancer Protection from Statins Questioned. CancerFacts.com. 4 Jan. 2006. 20 Jan. 2006 [http://www.cancerfacts.com/Home_News.asp?NewsId=1953].
- Jacobs, E. and Rodriguez, C. "Statins and Colorectal Cancer Incidence in the U.S." Journal of the National Cancer Institute 98.1 (Jan. 2006): 69-72. 20 Jan. 2006.
- Whitworth, Ariel. "Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Not Associated with Reduced Colorectal Cancer Risk." Journal of the National Cancer Institute 98.1 (Jan. 2006): 1. 20 Jan. 2006.
