“Statin use after a diagnosis of esophageal adenocarcinoma, but not esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, reduces esophageal cancer–specific and all-cause mortality, researchers report in the April issue of Gastroenterology.
Esophageal cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death in men and eighth most common cause in women, worldwide. Esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) are the most common histologic subtype worldwide, but the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has increased rapidly since the 1970s and the most common form in the West. Fewer than 20% of patients with esophageal cancer survive for 5 years.
Statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) are cholesterol-lowering drugs that have also been reported to have anti-cancer effects. Statin use after diagnosis has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer-specific mortality in from prostate, breast, and colorectal carcinomas. Statins were also found to reduce risk of liver cancer.
Statin use has been inversely associated with the development of the histologic subtypes of esophageal cancers. However, it is not clear whether statin use after a diagnosis of esophageal cancer prolongs survival, or has different effects on EAC vs ESCC.
Leo Alexandre et al sought to determine whether statin use after a diagnosis of esophageal cancer reduced cancer-specific and all-cause mortality in a large cohort (4445 men and women) in the United Kingdom. They collected their data from the United Kingdom General Practice Research database, the UK National Cancer Registry, and the Office of National Statistics database.”
To read more about the findings, visit: journalsblog.gastro.org
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