Use of statin drugs cuts risk of prostate cancer, new research reveals

Men who take a certain class of cholesterol-lowering medicine, otherwise known as statins, may be 60% less likely to be diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer. Some of the results of this powerful study involving more than 55,000 men were discussed at the Prostate Cancer Research Program's (PCRP's) Innovative Minds in Prostate Cancer Today (IMPaCT) conference in Orlando, Florida, USA, a gathering of some of the nation's most prestigious scientists and clinicians in prostate cancer research.

"The findings provide hope for the more than 200,000 men in the United States diagnosed with prostate cancer annually," said Navy Captain Melissa Kaime, Director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), in which the PCRP resides. "This may represent a significant step in the process leading up to the development of a new product for prostate cancer prevention," she added.

Using electronic and administrative files from the Veteran Affairs New England Healthcare System, investigators identified 55,875 men taking either a statin or antihypertensive medication - a drug that reduces high blood pressure. The dataset included men at various levels of risk for prostate cancer.