Sheeza Basharatover 1 year ago

Statins and Breast Cancer

Statins May Protect From Breast Cancer Mortality⁠ ⁠ Statin use after a breast cancer diagnosis was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the risk of dying from the disease. The protective effect was more pronounced in patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) disease, as well as in postmenopausal women and women with advanced tumors.⁠ ⁠ Statins, the most widely prescribed cholesterol lowering medications, have been associated with improved and unchanged breast cancer outcomes in previous studies.⁠ ⁠ Statin use was associated with a 26% lower risk of breast cancer–specific death after adjusting for comorbidities, demographics, concomitant medication use, and clinical factors.⁠ ⁠ The association was attenuated in new users, defined as women for whom statins were not dispensed in the year before they were diagnosed (hazard ratio [HR], 0.91; 95% CI, 0.69 – 1.19).⁠ ⁠ The protective effect was more pronounced in patients with ER+ disease (HR, 0.77), postmenopausal women (HR, 0.74), and women with stage IIIb, IIIc, or IV disease (HR, 0.65).⁠ ⁠ The was no protective effect with respect to recurrence or distant metastases, and there was no effect in early-stage disease and for premenopausal women.⁠ ⁠ Based on the strength of this preprint study that is currently undergoing peer review, investigators say further research is warranted to identify a subgroup of patients who might benefit from adjuvant statin therapy