According to new studies presented at the American Urological Association’s annual meeting on April 26, 2009, cholesterol-lowering drugs, also known as statins, may lower the danger of prostate hyperplasia and cancer.

 

The findings are not new, as previous studies have shown that men taking statins appear to have a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer, “but the mechanism by which statins might be affecting the prostate remained largely unknown,” Lionel Banez, MD, a researcher in the Duke Prostate Center and lead author of one of the studies, said.

 

Statins are currently prescribed to lower cholesterol and help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

 

Duke Prostate Center researchers examined tumor samples from 254 men who had their prostate removed because of cancer. They found that men who were on statins had a 72 percent reduction in risk for tumor inflammation, “and we believe this might play a role in the connection between prostate cancer and statin use,” Banez said.

 

Another study presented at the same meeting found that men taking statins before undergoing surgical removal of their prostate had a lower risk of having cancer return. “The use of statins at the time of surgery was associated with a 30 percent reduction in the risk of recurrence of prostate cancer,” lead researcher Dr. Robert J. Hamilton, a urology resident at the University of Toronto Medical Center in Ontario, Canada, said.

 

However, he cautioned about recommending that men should take statins to reduce the risk of recurrent prostate cancer.

 

Finally, a third report coming from researchers led by Dr. Rodney H. Breau from the Mayo Clinic found that statins reduced the risk of prostate cancer by a third. Among 75 men taking statins who had biopsies, 30 tested positive for prostate cancer, the study showed.

 

“In recent years, it has been suggested that statin medications may prevent development of cancer. However, until now, there has been limited evidence to support this theory. Our research provides evidence that statin use is associated with a threefold reduced risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer,” Breau said.

 

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the leading malignancy affecting men and the second deadliest, with 186,320 cases and 28,660 deaths in the United States last year. Worldwide, 221,000 men die annually because of it, from the 679,000 new cases diagnosed. Many studies have shown that the progress of the disease is so slow in some patients that they end up dying because of other conditions they develop. However, no one is sure how the cancer will develop in his case, that’s why researchers are trying to find answers quickly. And apparently they are closer than ever.