Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Protective Effects of Statins in Cancer: Should They Be Prescribed for High-Risk Patients?

  • Statin Drugs (B. Wiggins, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Atherosclerosis Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Statins are one of the most widely prescribed drug classes in the USA. This review aims to summarize recent research on the relationship between statin use and cancer outcomes, in the context of clinical guidelines for statin use in patients with cancer or who are at high risk for cancer.

Recent Findings

A growing body of research has investigated the relationship between statins and cancer with mixed results. Cancer incidence has been more extensively studied than cancer survival, though results are inconsistent as some large meta-analyses have not found an association, while other studies have reported improved cancer outcomes with the use of statins. Additionally, two large studies reported increased all-cancer survival with statin use. Studies on specific cancer types in relation to cancer use have also been mixed, though the most promising results appear to be found in gastrointestinal cancers. Few studies have reported an increased risk of cancer incidence or decreased survival with statin use, though this type of association has been more commonly reported for cutaneous cancers.

Summary

The overall literature on statins in relation to cancer incidence and survival is mixed, and additional research is warranted before any changes in clinical guidelines can be recommended. Future research areas include randomized controlled trials, studies on specific cancer types in relation to statin use, studies on populations without clinical indication for statins, elucidation of underlying biological mechanisms, and investigation of different statin types. However, studies seem to suggest that statins may be protective and are not likely to be harmful in the setting of cancer, suggesting that cancer patients who already take statins should not have this medication discontinued.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. Alsheikh-Ali AA, Trikalinos TA, Kent DM, Karas RH. Statins, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and risk of cancer. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008;52(14):1141–7. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2008.06.037.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Asgari MM, Tang J, Epstein Jr EH, Chren MM, Warton EM, Quesenberry Jr CP, et al. Statin use and risk of basal cell carcinoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009;61(1):66–72. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2009.02.011.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Bjarnadottir O, Romero Q, Bendahl PO, Jirstrom K, Ryden L, Loman N, et al. Targeting HMG-CoA reductase with statins in a window-of-opportunity breast cancer trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2013;138(2):499–508. doi:10.1007/s10549-013-2473-6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bjerre LM, LeLorier J. Do statins cause cancer? A meta-analysis of large randomized clinical trials. Am J Med. 2001;110(9):716–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Blais L, Desgagne A, LeLorier J. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors and the risk of cancer: a nested case-control study. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(15):2363–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Bonovas S, Filioussi K, Tsavaris N, Sitaras NM. Use of statins and breast cancer: a meta-analysis of seven randomized clinical trials and nine observational studies. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(34):8606–12. doi:10.1200/Jco.2005.02.7045.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Boudreau DM, Yu O, Buist DS, Miglioretti DL. Statin use and prostate cancer risk in a large population-based setting. Cancer Causes Control. 2008;19(7):767–74. doi:10.1007/s10552-008-9139-4.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. • Boudreau DM, Yu O, Johnson J. Statin use and cancer risk: a comprehensive review. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2010;9(4):603–21. doi:10.1517/14740331003662620. This study is included as an excellent and comprehensive summary of statin studies by cancer type up to 2010.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Browning DR, Martin RM. Statins and risk of cancer: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Int J Cancer. 2007;120(4):833–43. doi:10.1002/ijc.22366.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Cambien F, Ducimetiere P, Richard J. Total serum cholesterol and cancer mortality in a middle-aged male population. Am J Epidemiol. 1980;112(3):388–94.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Cardwell CR, Hicks BM, Hughes C, Murray LJ. Statin use after diagnosis of breast cancer and survival: a population-based cohort study. Epidemiology. 2015;26(1):68–78. doi:10.1097/EDE.0000000000000189.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Cholesterol Treatment Trialists, Collaboration. Efficacy and safety of LDL-lowering therapy among men and women: meta-analysis of individual data from 174 000 participants in 27 randomised trials. Lancet. 2015. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61368-4.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Coogan PF, Rosenberg L, Strom BL. Statin use and the risk of 10 cancers. Epidemiology. 2007;18(2):213–9. doi:10.1097/01.ede.0000254694.03027.a1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Coogan PF, Smith J, Rosenberg L. Statin use and risk of colorectal cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007;99(1):32–40. doi:10.1093/jnci/djk003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Crick DC, Andres DA, Danesi R, Macchia M, Waechter CJ. Geranylgeraniol overcomes the block of cell proliferation by lovastatin in C6 glioma cells. J Neurochem. 1998;70(6):2397–405.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Dale KM, Coleman CI, Henyan NN, Kluger J, White CM. Statins and cancer risk: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2006;295(1):74–80. doi:10.1001/jama.295.1.74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Deberardinis RJ, Sayed N, Ditsworth D, Thompson CB. Brick by brick: metabolism and tumor cell growth. Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2008;18(1):54–61. doi:10.1016/j.gde.2008.02.003.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Demierre MF, Higgins PD, Gruber SB, Hawk E, Lippman SM. Statins and cancer prevention. Nat Rev Cancer. 2005;5(12):930–42. doi:10.1038/nrc1751.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Desai P, Chlebowski R, Cauley JA, Manson JAE, Wu CY, Martin LW, et al. Prospective analysis of association between statin use and breast cancer risk in the women’s health initiative. Cancer Epidemiol Biomark Prev. 2013;22(10):1868–76. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-13-0562.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ehrenstein MR, Jury EC, Mauri C. Statins for atherosclerosis—as good as it gets? N Engl J Med. 2005;352(1):73–5. doi:10.1056/NEJMe048326.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Farwell WR, Scranton RE, Lawler EV, Lew RA, Brophy MT, Fiore LD, et al. The association between statins and cancer incidence in a veterans population. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2008;100(2):134–9. doi:10.1093/jnci/djm286.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Fenton RG, Kung HF, Longo DL, Smith MR. Regulation of intracellular actin polymerization by prenylated cellular proteins. J Cell Biol. 1992;117(2):347–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Flick ED, Habel LA, Chan KA, Van Den Eeden SK, Quinn VP, Haque R, et al. Statin use and risk of prostate cancer in the California Men’s Health Study cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16(11):2218–25. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-0197.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Fortuny J, de Sanjose S, Becker N, Maynadie M, Cocco PL, Staines A, et al. Statin use and risk of lymphoid neoplasms: results from the European Case-Control Study EPILYMPH. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2006;15(5):921–5. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-05-0866.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Friedman GD, Flick ED, Udaltsova N, Chan J, Quesenberry Jr CP, Habel LA. Screening statins for possible carcinogenic risk: up to 9 years of follow-up of 361,859 recipients. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2008;17(1):27–36. doi:10.1002/pds.1507.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Friis S, Poulsen AH, Johnsen SP, McLaughlin JK, Fryzek JP, Dalton SO, et al. Cancer risk among statin users: a population-based cohort study. Int J Cancer. 2005;114(4):643–7. doi:10.1002/ijc.20758.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Gaist D, Andersen L, Hallas J, Sorensen HT, Schroder HD, Friis S. Use of statins and risk of glioma: a nationwide case-control study in Denmark. Br J Cancer. 2013;108(3):715–20. doi:10.1038/bjc.2012.536.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Gaist D, Hallas J, Friis S, Hansen S, Sorensen HT. Statin use and survival following glioblastoma multiforme. Cancer Epidemiol. 2014;38(6):722–7. doi:10.1016/j.canep.2014.09.010.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Graaf MR, Beiderbeck AB, Egberts AC, Richel DJ, Guchelaar HJ. The risk of cancer in users of statins. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22(12):2388–94. doi:10.1200/JCO.2004.02.027.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Haukka J, Sankila R, Klaukka T, Lonnqvist J, Niskanen L, Tanskanen A, et al. Incidence of cancer and statin usage—record linkage study. Int J Cancer. 2010;126(1):279–84. doi:10.1002/ijc.24536.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Heart Protection Study Collaborative, Group. MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of cholesterol lowering with simvastatin in 20,536 high-risk individuals: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2002;360(9326):7–22. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09327-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Herold G, Jungwirth R, Rogler G, Geerling I, Stange EF. Influence of cholesterol supply on cell growth and differentiation in cultured enterocytes (CaCo-2). Digestion. 1995;56(1):57–66.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Higgins MJ, Prowell TM, Blackford AL, Byrne C, Khouri NF, Slater SA, et al. A short-term biomarker modulation study of simvastatin in women at increased risk of a new breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012;131(3):915–24. doi:10.1007/s10549-011-1858-7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Jacobs EJ, Rodriguez C, Bain EB, Wang Y, Thun MJ, Calle EE. Cholesterol-lowering drugs and advanced prostate cancer incidence in a large U.S. cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16(11):2213–7. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-0448.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Jacobs EJ, Rodriguez C, Brady KA, Connell CJ, Thun MJ, Calle EE. Cholesterol-lowering drugs and colorectal cancer incidence in a large United States cohort. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006;98(1):69–72. doi:10.1093/jnci/djj006.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Jagtap D, Rosenberg CA, Martin LW, Pettinger M, Khandekar J, Lane D, et al. Prospective analysis of association between use of statins and melanoma risk in the Women’s Health Initiative. Cancer. 2012;118(20):5124–31. doi:10.1002/cncr.27497.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Kagan A, McGee DL, Yano K, Rhoads GG, Nomura A. Serum cholesterol and mortality in a Japanese-American population: the Honolulu Heart program. Am J Epidemiol. 1981;114(1):11–20.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Keys A, Aravanis C, Blackburn H, Buzina R, Dontas AS, Fidanza F, et al. Serum cholesterol and cancer mortality in the Seven Countries Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1985;121(6):870–83.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Khurana V, Bejjanki HR, Caldito G, Owens MW. Statins reduce the risk of lung cancer in humans: a large case-control study of US veterans. Chest. 2007;131(5):1282–8. doi:10.1378/chest.06-0931.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Kuoppala J, Lamminpaa A, Pukkala E. Statins and cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Cancer. 2008;44(15):2122–32. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2008.06.025.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. •• Li Y, Li Y, Lei X, Liu L, Zhang D, Tang S, et al. Prognostic value of statin for cancer patients: a meta-analysis. Zhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2015;40:770–81. doi:10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2015.07.012. Highlighted due to to the large sample size, recent date of study, and the inclusion of multiple cancer types in the analysis.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Ling Y, Yang L, Huang H, Hu X, Zhao C, Huang H, et al. Prognostic significance of statin use in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015;94(25):e908. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000000908.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Mills EJ, Rachlis B, Wu P, Devereaux PJ, Arora P, Perri D. Primary prevention of cardiovascular mortality and events with statin treatments: a network meta-analysis involving more than 65,000 patients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008;52(22):1769–81. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2008.08.039.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Murtola TJ, Tammela TL, Lahtela J, Auvinen A. Cholesterol-lowering drugs and prostate cancer risk: a population-based case-control study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007;16(11):2226–32. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-0599.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Murtola TJ, Tammela TL, Maattanen L, Huhtala H, Platz EA, Ala-Opas M, et al. Prostate cancer and PSA among statin users in the Finnish prostate cancer screening trial. Int J Cancer. 2010;127(7):1650–9. doi:10.1002/ijc.25165.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Murtola TJ, Visvanathan K, Artama M, Vainio H, Pukkala E. Statin use and breast cancer survival: a nationwide cohort study from Finland. PLoS One. 2014;9(10):e110231. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110231.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  47. Nevadunsky NS, Van Arsdale A, Strickler HD, Spoozak LA, Moadel A, Kaur G, et al. Association between statin use and endometrial cancer survival. Obstet Gynecol. 2015;126(1):144–50. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000000926.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. •• Nielsen SF, Nordestgaard BG, Bojesen SE. Statin use and reduced cancer-related mortality. N Engl J Med. 2012;367(19):1792–802. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1201735. Highlighted due to to the large sample size, recent date of study, and the inclusion of multiple cancer types in the analysis.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Nowakowski GS, Maurer MJ, Habermann TM, Ansell SM, Macon WR, Ristow KM, et al. Statin use and prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma in the rituximab era. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28(3):412–7. doi:10.1200/JCO.2009.23.4245.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Pencina MJ, Navar-Boggan AM, D’Agostino Sr RB, Williams K, Neely B, Sniderman AD, et al. Application of new cholesterol guidelines to a population-based sample. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(15):1422–31. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1315665.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and. (2015). Leading causes of death. 2015.

  52. Pedersen TR, Kjekshus J, Berg K, Haghfelt T, Faergeman O, Faergeman G, et al. Randomised trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444 patients with coronary heart disease, the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S). Lancet. 1994;344(8934):1383–9.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Setoguchi S, Glynn RJ, Avorn J, Mogun H, Schneeweiss S. Statins and the risk of lung, breast, and colorectal cancer in the elderly. Circulation. 2007;115(1):27–33. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.650176.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Simon MS, Rosenberg CA, Rodabough RJ, Greenland P, Ockene I, Roy HK, et al. Prospective analysis of association between use of statins or other lipid-lowering agents and colorectal cancer risk. Ann Epidemiol. 2012;22(1):17–27. doi:10.1016/J.Annepidem.2011.10.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Singh PP, Singh S. Statins are associated with reduced risk of gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Oncol. 2013. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdt150.

    Google Scholar 

  56. Singh PP, Singh S. Statins are associated with reduced risk of gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Oncol. 2013;24(7):1721–30. doi:10.1093/annonc/mdt150.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Singh S, Singh AG, Singh PP, Murad MH, Iyer PG. Statins are associated with reduced risk of esophageal cancer, particularly in patients with Barrett’s esophagus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013;11(6):620–9. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2012.12.036.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  58. Singh S, Singh PP, Singh AG, Murad MH, Sanchez W. Statins are associated with a reduced risk of hepatocellular cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Gastroenterology. 2013;144(2):323–32. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2012.10.005.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Stone NJ, Robinson JG, Lichtenstein AH, Bairey Merz CN, Blum CB, Eckel RH, et al. 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63:2889–934. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Tan M, Song X, Zhang G, Peng A, Li X, Li M, et al. Statins and the risk of lung cancer: a meta-analysis. Plos One. 2013;8(2):e57349. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057349.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  61. Vinayak S, Schwartz EJ, Jensen K, Lipson J, Alli E, McPherson L, et al. A clinical trial of lovastatin for modification of biomarkers associated with breast cancer risk. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2013;142(2):389–98. doi:10.1007/s10549-013-2739-z.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. •• Wang A, Aragaki AK, Tang JY, Kurian AW, Manson JE, Chlebowski RT, et al. Statin use and all-cancer survival: prospective results from the Women’s Health Initiative. Br J Cancer. 2016;115(1):129–35. doi:10.1038/bjc.2016.149. Highlighted due to to the large sample size, recent date of study, and the inclusion of multiple cancer types in the analysis.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Wang A, Stefanick ML, Kapphahn K, Hedlin H, Desai M, Manson JA, et al. Relation of statin use with non-melanoma skin cancer: prospective results from the Women’s Health Initiative. Br J Cancer. 2016;114(3):314–20. doi:10.1038/bjc.2015.376.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Wang J, Li C, Tao H, Cheng Y, Han L, Li X, et al. Statin use and risk of lung cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2013;8(10):e77950. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0077950.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  65. Weis M, Heeschen C, Glassford AJ, Cooke JP. Statins have biphasic effects on angiogenesis. Circulation. 2002;105(6):739–45. doi:10.1161/Hc0602.103393.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Wong WW, Dimitroulakos J, Minden MD, Penn LZ. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and the malignant cell: the statin family of drugs as triggers of tumor-specific apoptosis. Leukemia. 2002;16(4):508–19. doi:10.1038/sj.leu.2402476.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Wu J, Wong WW, Khosravi F, Minden MD, Penn LZ. Blocking the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway sensitizes acute myelogenous leukemia cells to lovastatin-induced apoptosis. Cancer Res. 2004;64(18):6461–8. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-04-0866.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Wu QJ, Tu C, Li YY, Zhu J, Qian KQ, Li WJ, et al. Statin use and breast cancer survival and risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2015;6(40):42988–3004. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.5557.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  69. Wu XD, Zeng K, Xue FQ, Chen JH, Chen YQ. Statins are associated with reduced risk of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2013;69(10):1855–60. doi:10.1007/s00228-013-1547-z.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Yang YX, Hennessy S, Propert K, Hwang WT, Sarkar M, Lewis JD. Chronic statin therapy and the risk of colorectal cancer. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2008;17(9):869–76. doi:10.1002/pds.1599.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Yu O, Boudreau DM, Buist DS, Miglioretti DL. Statin use and female reproductive organ cancer risk in a large population-based setting. Cancer Causes Control. 2009;20(5):609–16. doi:10.1007/s10552-008-9271-1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. •• Zhong S, Zhang X, Chen L, Ma T, Tang J, Zhao J. Statin use and mortality in cancer patients: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Cancer Treat Rev. 2015;41(6):554–67. doi:10.1016/j.ctrv.2015.04.005. Highlighted due to to the large sample size, recent date of study, and the inclusion of multiple cancer types in the analysis.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Ange Wang

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Heather A. Wakelee & Allison W. Kurian

  3. Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA

    Aaron K. Aragaki

  4. Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Jean Y. Tang

  5. Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Allison W. Kurian

  6. Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    JoAnn E. Manson

  7. Department of Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

    Marcia L. Stefanick

Authors
  1. Ange Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Heather A. Wakelee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Aaron K. Aragaki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jean Y. Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Allison W. Kurian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. JoAnn E. Manson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Marcia L. Stefanick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ange Wang.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

Ange Wang, Aaron K. Aragaki, Jean Y. Tang, Allison W. Kurian, JoAnn E. Manson, and Marcia L. Stefanick declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Heather A. Wakelee declares grant support from AstraZeneca, Novartis, BMS, XCovery, Celegene, MedImmune, Lilly, Gilead, and Pharmacyclics; grant support and consultant/honoraria fees from Pfizer and Roche/Genentech (uncompensatated for consultant work); and consultant/honoraria fees from Peregrine, ACEA, and Helsinn.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Statin Drugs

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, A., Wakelee, H.A., Aragaki, A.K. et al. Protective Effects of Statins in Cancer: Should They Be Prescribed for High-Risk Patients?. Curr Atheroscler Rep 18, 72 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-016-0625-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11883-016-0625-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation