Statins and Colon Cancer

Statins are commonly used to treat high LDL cholesterol levels. A negative side effect of statins is that they have the potential to cause liver damage. A positive side effect is that they may reduce a person's risk of developing colon cancer.

Examples of Statins

Examples of statins include Lipitor (atorvastatin), Lescol (fluvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), Pravachol (pravastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), and Zocor (simvastatin).

Research that Says Statins Reduce Colon Cancer Risk

An Israeli study found that using statins for more than five years could reduce the risk of developing colon cancer by almost 50%. This study included more than 3,000 people, about half of whom had colon cancer.

A Canadian study found that using statins significantly lowered the risk of developing colon cancer. But, the authors pointed out that approximately 4,814 people would need to be treated with statins for five years to prevent one case of colon cancer.

Research that Says Statins Don't Reduce Colon Cancer Risk

An American study examined the association between cholesterol-lowering drugs and the incidence of colon cancer in more than 130,000 people. Researchers found that cholesterol-lowering drugs in general don't impact colon cancer risk. They specifically noted that the study didn't support the idea that statins, as a class of drugs, strongly reduce the risk of developing cancer of the colon or rectum.

However, since the 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 colon cancer.

Final Word on Statins and Colon Cancer

Do statins reduce a person's risk of developing colon cancer or not? Unfortunately, the jury's still out. So for now, we'll have to settle for "maybe" and keep an eye out for more research.

Sources:

1. Cancer Protection from Statins Questioned. CancerFacts.com. 4 Jan. 2006. 20 Jan. 2006 [http://www.cancerfacts.com/Home_News.asp?NewsId=1953].
   
2. Cholesterol: Lower is Better. Health A to Z. June 2006. 1 Sep. 2006 [http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/dc/caz/card/chod/alert04152004.jsp].
   
3. Hillmer, M. and Juurlink, D. "Do Statins Decrease the Risk of Colorectal Cancer?" Canadian Medical Association Journal 173.7 (Sep. 2005). 1 Sep. 2006.
   
4. 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.
5. Peck, Peggy. Statins May Reduce Risk of Colorectal Cancer. Medscape Medical News. 9 Jun. 2004. 26 Aug. 2006 [http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/480509].
   
6. 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.