Statin Drugs Linked to Slight Increase in Cancer Risk

Thursday, February 28, 2008 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: statin drugs, drug side effects, health news

(NewsTarget) People who use drugs called statins to drastically lower their LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels may have a slightly higher risk of cancer, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Researchers looked at summary data from 13 different studies that had examined the relationship between statin use and cancer, with a total participant pool of 41,173. Among those with the lowest LDL levels, the researchers detected a 0.1 percent increase in cancer risk -- or one extra case per 1,000 people.

The researchers were unable to determine what actually causes the increased risk -- whether it is the drugs, the lowered cholesterol or an unknown third factor. According to the British Heart Foundation, there has long been a known correlation between low cholesterol levels and increased cancer risk.

"The analysis doesn't implicate the statin in increasing the risk of cancer," said lead author Richard Karas of Tufts University School of Medicine, cautioning that the benefits of statins still outweigh the risks.

Cancer Research UK expressed skepticism about the validity of the study's results. "The findings of this study should be treated with caution," said Dr. Alison Ross, the organization's cancer information officer. "It is based on summary data from previous trials and, as the authors point out themselves, it does not prove that low LDL cholesterol levels can increase cancer risk."

A number of prior studies have concluded that statins to do not increase cancer risk, and a 2005 study actually found a 50-percent lower risk of colorectal cancer among patients who used statins for more than 5 years.

"Cancer risk is not the primary concern with statin drugs," said consumer health advocate Mike Adams. "It's the hijacking of the liver and the blocking of the production of healthy cholesterol that concerns me. I've known people who were nearly killed by statin drugs. It's the non-cancer side effects that are the most dangerous," Adams said.