Is statin use associated with risk of developing a second cancer in patients with breast cancer?

This study was carried out to look at the risk of developing a second cancer in patients with breast cancer (BC) undergoing statin therapy. The authors found that there was little association between statin use and second cancer risk in these patients.

BC is one of the most common forms of cancer found in women. With many governments having screening programmes and medical treatments, the number of long-term survivors is increasing. Many studies have found that patients with BC have a higher risk of developing second cancers. 

Statins are a group of drugs used to lower blood cholesterol levels. They have been used as a preventative treatment for heart disease. There has been recent work that has shown that statins have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. There are numerous studies showing that statins may improve survival in patients with BC. However, the role of statin use in second cancer prevention in patients with BC remains unclear.

This study analyzed data from patients newly diagnosed with BC. There were 1222 patients who were using statin therapy. 4888 patients with BC were not using statin therapy. Both groups were followed up for at least 4 years. 

The statin group had a slightly lower rate of developing a second cancer (by 10%) when compared to the non-statin group. The usage of multiple statin drugs resulted in a 55% decreased risk of developing a second cancer when compared to the non-statin group.

However, patients taking pravastatin (Pravachol) had a 2.71 times higher risk of developing a second cancer. The dosage of the statin did not result in a difference to the risk of developing a second cancer.  

The authors concluded that there was little association between the use of statins and the risk of developing a second cancer in patients with BC.

This study looked at data from a Taiwanese database. Therefore, the results may not translate well to a global population. More studies are needed.