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Statin treatment and outcomes of metastatic pancreatic cancer: a pooled analysis of two phase III studies

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Abstract

Background

The current analysis aims to evaluate the impact of statin co-treatment on the survival of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Methods

This is a pooled analysis of de-identified patient data from two clinical trials (NCT01124786; NCT00844649). Overall and progression-free survival according to patient subsets (patients who received or who did not receive statins) were assessed through Kaplan–Meier analysis and log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate different factors potentially affecting overall and progression-free survival. Propensity score matching was performed to address heterogeneity in baseline characteristics of different subgroups of patients.

Results

A total of 797 patients were assessed in the current study; of which 156 patients received statins and 641 did not receive statins. Using Kaplan–Meier survival estimates, patients who received statins seem to have better overall and progression-free survival compared to patients who did not (P = 0.008; P < 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis for factors affecting overall survival, the following factors were associated with worse overall survival: worse performance status (P < 0.001), no statin use (P = 0.044) and multiple sites of metastatic disease (P = 0.023); likewise in multivariate analysis for factors affecting progression-free survival, the following factors were associated with worse progression-free survival: worse performance status (P < 0.001), gemcitabine elaidate chemotherapy (P = 0.015) and no statin use (P = 0.048). Following propensity score matching and using Kaplan–Meier estimates, statin use was also associated with better overall and progression-free survival (P = 0.005; P = 0.040, respectively).

Conclusion

Statin use seems to be associated with better overall survival among patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy. Prospective studies designed specifically to assess this potential effect of statins are needed.

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Funding

There is no funding for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinical Oncology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

    O. Abdel-Rahman

  2. Department of Oncology, University of Calgary and Tom Baker Cancer Center, Calgary, AB, Canada

    O. Abdel-Rahman

Authors
  1. O. Abdel-Rahman
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Correspondence to O. Abdel-Rahman.

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There is no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the two studies.

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Abdel-Rahman, O. Statin treatment and outcomes of metastatic pancreatic cancer: a pooled analysis of two phase III studies. Clin Transl Oncol 21, 810–816 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-018-1992-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-018-1992-3

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