Statins May Reduce Risk of Kidney Cancer

NEW YORK FEB 26, 2008 (Reuters Health) - Treatment with statins appears to reduce the risk of renal cell carcinoma, according to the results of a case-control study of nearly 500,000 veterans.

Evidence from animal models and in vitro experiments suggests that HMG-coA reductase inhibitors are capable of suppressing tumor growth. Moreover, prior research has indicated a protective benefit against bladder cancer and prostate cancer with statin therapy.

Given this apparent activity against these genitourinary malignancies, Dr. Murali Ankem, from the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, and colleagues examined whether statins might protect against renal cell carcinoma. The researchers report their findings in the January issue of Urology.

In the VA database, 34% of subjects were statin users and 0.3% of subjects had a primary diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma, the report indicates.

Treatment with a statin was associated with a 48% reduced risk of renal cell carcinoma. Moreover, this reduced risk was still apparent after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, and obesity.

Randomized controlled trials are now needed to verify these findings and to determine whether statins will have any role in the prevention and treatment of renal cell carcinoma, the authors conclude.

SOURCE:

"Reuters content is the intellectual property of Reuters Limited. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by caching, framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon."