Drug may help stop return of prostate cancer

Men who took statins were 30 per cent less likely to suffer an apparent relapse than those who did not, researchers found.

Higher doses of the drugs were associated with a lower risk of showing signs of cancer re-growth. Earlier research had already suggested that statins can fight prostate cancer.

Study leader Dr Stephen Freedland, from Duke University Medical Centre in Durham, North Carolina, US, said: "The findings add another layer of evidence suggesting that statins may have an important role in slowing the growth and progression of prostate cancer.

"Previous studies have shown that statins have anti-cancer properties, but it's not entirely clear when it's best to use them – or even how they work."

The research was published today in the journal Cancer.

Duke scientists examined the records of 1,319 men who had their prostate glands removed, 236 of whom were taking statins at the time of their surgery.

A follow-up investigation revealed that 16 per cent of statin-users compared with 25 per cent of non-users went on to experience rising levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen), the blood marker used to monitor prostate cancer.

Overall, taking statins reduced the risk of biochemical recurrence – signified by rising PSA – by 30 per cent.

For men taking a dose equivalent to 20 milligrams of simvastatin a day, recurrence risk was reduced by 43 per cent. Simvastatin is one of the most widely used statin drugs.

Men taking doses higher than 20 milligrams reduced their risk by half, while those taking less than 20 milligrams saw no benefit.

There were differences between men who took the drugs and those who did not, the researchers pointed out.

Statin users tended to be white, older and heavier than non-users. They also had lower clinical stages at diagnosis, but higher scores of cancer aggressiveness.

Study author Dr Robert Hamilton, from the University of Toronto in Canada, said: "These findings are intriguing, but we do need to approach them with some caution."