Statin users of ten years have a 30% increased risk of colorectal cancer

This study was published in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety 2008 Sep;17(9):869-76

Study title and authors:
Chronic statin therapy and the risk of colorectal cancer.

Yang YX, Hennessy S, Propert K, Hwang WT, Sarkar M, Lewis JD.
Division of Gastroenterology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA. yangy@mail.med.upenn.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18412290

The study sought to clarify the association between long-term statin therapy and the risk of colorectal cancer. This study was conducted among patients aged 50 years or more and with five or more years of colorectal cancer-free initial follow-up. The study included 4,432 colorectal cancer patients and 44,292 control subjects.

The study found:
(a) Those who had been taking statins for five or more years had a 10% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to non-users of statins.
(b) Those who had been taking statins for ten years had a 30% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to non-users of statins.

Statin use increases the risk of multiple colorectal adenomas by 25%

This study was published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2005 Apr;14(4):1026-7

Study title and authors:
Reported use of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors was not associated with reduced recurrence of colorectal adenomas.

Wei JT, Mott LA, Baron JA, Sandler RS; Polyp Prevention Study Group.
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina, Campus Box 7080, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. jwei@med.unc.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15824186

This study investigated the association of statins with the risk of recurrent colorectal adenomas. (An adenoma is a benign tumour. Colorectal adenomas are removed because of their tendency to become malignant and to lead to colon cancer). The study analysed data from three randomised trials regarding the recurrence of colorectal adenomas in patients with a history of adenomas. The trials included 2,638 patients.

The analysis revealed:

(a) Statin users had a 3% increased risk of any adenoma compared to statin never-users.

(b) Statin users had a 13% increased risk of any advanced adenoma compared to statin never-users.

(c) Statin users had a 25% increased risk of multiple adenoma compared to statin never-users.

 

 

Links to other studies:

Statin users of ten years have a 30% increased risk of colorectal cancer

Statin users have a 45% increased risk of acute large bowel ischemia

Statins increase the risk of colon adenomas by 54%