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Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Population-based Case-Control Study

¹ School of Public Health, ² Department of Urology, Tampere University Hospital and Medical School, University of Tampere, and ³ Department of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland and ⁴ The Finnish Cancer Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Requests for reprints: Teemu Murtola, University of Tampere, School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere, FIN-33014, Finland. Phone: 358-3-3551-6168; Fax: 358-3-3551-6057. E-mail: teemu.murtola{at}uta.fi.

Background: Previous studies have shown that statin use may reduce prostate cancer risk. In the current study, we evaluated the association between serum cholesterol–lowering medication use and prostate cancer risk at the population level.

Materials and Methods: All newly diagnosed prostate cancer cases in Finland during 1995 to 2002 and matched controls (24,723 case control pairs) were identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry and the Population Register Center, respectively. Detailed information on cholesterol-lowering drug purchases during the study period was obtained from the prescription database of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.

Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, having ever-use of any statin was associated with marginally elevated overall prostate cancer risk [odds ratio (OR), 1.07; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.00-1.16]. However, none of the statins was associated with the overall prostate cancer risk when analyzed separately. On the other hand, the risk of advanced prostate cancer was decreased among users of atorvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.37-0.98; OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.43-0.85; and OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.61-1.01, respectively). The risk was not affected among users of other cholesterol drug groups.

Conclusions: Our large population-based study showed no evidence for reduced overall prostate cancer risk among users of cholesterol-lowering drugs, whereas the risk of advanced cancer was decreased among statin users. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(11):2226–32)

Commentary

Epidemiologic Musing on Statin Drugs in the Prevention of Advanced Prostate Cancer

Elizabeth A. Platz
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 2007 16: 2175-2180. [Full Text] [PDF]

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