The researchers report that men who had been taking statins since the start of androgen deprivation therapy
(ADT) went a median of 27.5 months before their disease began to
worsen, compared to 17.4 months for men who didn't take statins. The
trial involved 926 patients, 70 percent of whom had their disease
progress during a six-year period.
"This median 10-month benefit in delaying disease progression
suggests that statins could be a valuable addition to our current
therapies for prostate cancer," says the study's first author, Lauren
Harshman, MD, medical oncologist at the Lank Center for Genitourinary
Oncology at Dana-Farber. "These results are supported by multiple prior
epidemiologic studies demonstrating that statin use may be associated
with improved outcomes in prostate cancer, but require validation."
The trial grew out of laboratory studies that suggested statins could
delay prostate cancer growth in patients receiving ADT. (ADT reduces
the amount of androgen in the body, preventing prostate cancer cells
from using it to fuel their growth. For many years, it has been the
frontline treatment for patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer
that has spread beyond the prostate gland.)
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