BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

• Data on statin use and prevention of ovarian cancer is inconclusive
  • There is a meta-analysis suggesting that statin use may be beneficial
• Akinwunmi et al. (International Journal of Cancer, 2018) determined whether statin can lower the risk for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC)

METHODS:

• Secondary analysis of New England Case Control study
  • Women with ovarian cancer and healthy controls living in Eastern Massachusetts or New Hampshire
  • Enrollment phases: 1992–1998, 1998–2002 and 2003–2008
• cases from controls (regardless of statin use) and statin users and non‐users (among controls).
• Data collection included
  • Sociodemographic background | Reproductive and family history | Medical and history | Medications used for at least 6 months
• Exposure: Statin use
• Unconditional logistic regression examined the association
• Results adjusting for the matching factors and other covariates

RESULTS:

• 2,040 cases with EOC | 2,100 matched controls
• Women using statins had a reduced risk for ovarian cancer
  • Adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.68 (95% CI, 0.54-0.85),
• Risk reduction was most apparent in women
  • Exposed to lipophilic statin beginning ≥50 years of age
  • Exposed for 2-4.9 years
• Statin use was associated with lower risks for both serous and non-serous histologic subtypes
• The strongest effect was seen for mucinous and mixed epithelial subtypes
• The association between statins and EOC
  • Appeared following 10 years of use
  • Remained when adjusted for statin indication and use of other medications

CONCLUSION:

• Compared to non-users, women who used statins had 32% lower risk of ovarian cancer
• The effect was seen for both serous and non-serous EOC and especially mucinous EOC
• Authors acknowledge that more research is needed, but the increased use of statins in postmenopausal women could result in decreasing ovarian cancer rates if the relationship is indeed causal

Learn More – Primary Sources:

Statin therapy and association with ovarian cancer risk in the New England Case Control (NEC) study.

Related ObG Topics: