16th May 2005
Babydog,
Thank you for the heads up on the statin-prostate/colon cancer rrelationship.
I found this blip at the end of a study done at the VA interesting on prostate cancer:
[QUOTE]Records from 47 incident prostate cancer cases and 142 PSA normal clinic controls were reviewed. After adjusting for age and body mass index, men with any recorded statin use had a 56% lower risk of prostate cancer as opposed to non-users (odds ratio (OR) 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.22-0.88)). When statin use was grouped by duration and dose, those with the longer duration of use (>3 years) and higher dose (>40mg/day) were at lower risk of prostate cancer as compared to non-users (OR=0.35, 95% CI=0.12-1.00). Conclusions: Results of this pilot study suggest that any statin use is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer and that use for a longer period of time at a higher dose may confer the most risk reduction. This study is limited by a small sample size and lack of control for additional comorbid factors. If these results are confirmed in a larger prospective study they may provide necessary evidence to consider the use of statin drugs in prostate cancer prevention.
And the work of Dr. Stephen Gruber of the University of Michigan on Israelis and colon cancer:
[QUOTE]Gruber and colleagues studied 1,608 Israelis with colorectal cancer and 1,734 Israelis without the disease. They asked the participants about their use of statin drugs and about other lifestyle factors that could influence colon cancer risk, such as diet, physical activity, family history of cancer, cancer screening practices, and use of aspirin or similar drugs.
The people in the study who reported using statins for 5 years or more had about half the risk of colon cancer as people who did not take the drugs.
Just 267 people in the study had used statins for that long. Most of them (95%) used the drugs pravastatin (Pravachol) or simvastatin (Zocor). Other types of cholesterol lowering-drugs (like fibrates) did not have an effect on colon cancer risk.
It looks like Gruber is being financed by the U.S. government:[QUOTE]
Researchers at the University of Michigan and the KHC National Center of Cancer Control in Haifa, Israel have been awarded a $4.8 million grant to study genetic aspects of colon cancer.
The five-year study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, will examine how genetic susceptibility to cancer may be modified by diet, medications, and lifestyle.
..........from the U. of Michigan Med School Newsletter
Obviously more research needs be done into the different types of cancers...since these two are mostly the scourges of MEN:D:D! But, both these studies are very encouraging...I always like killing two birds with one stone (or statin!)
Thank you for the heads up on the statin-prostate/colon cancer rrelationship.
I found this blip at the end of a study done at the VA interesting on prostate cancer:
[QUOTE]Records from 47 incident prostate cancer cases and 142 PSA normal clinic controls were reviewed. After adjusting for age and body mass index, men with any recorded statin use had a 56% lower risk of prostate cancer as opposed to non-users (odds ratio (OR) 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.22-0.88)). When statin use was grouped by duration and dose, those with the longer duration of use (>3 years) and higher dose (>40mg/day) were at lower risk of prostate cancer as compared to non-users (OR=0.35, 95% CI=0.12-1.00). Conclusions: Results of this pilot study suggest that any statin use is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer and that use for a longer period of time at a higher dose may confer the most risk reduction. This study is limited by a small sample size and lack of control for additional comorbid factors. If these results are confirmed in a larger prospective study they may provide necessary evidence to consider the use of statin drugs in prostate cancer prevention.
And the work of Dr. Stephen Gruber of the University of Michigan on Israelis and colon cancer:
[QUOTE]Gruber and colleagues studied 1,608 Israelis with colorectal cancer and 1,734 Israelis without the disease. They asked the participants about their use of statin drugs and about other lifestyle factors that could influence colon cancer risk, such as diet, physical activity, family history of cancer, cancer screening practices, and use of aspirin or similar drugs.
The people in the study who reported using statins for 5 years or more had about half the risk of colon cancer as people who did not take the drugs.
Just 267 people in the study had used statins for that long. Most of them (95%) used the drugs pravastatin (Pravachol) or simvastatin (Zocor). Other types of cholesterol lowering-drugs (like fibrates) did not have an effect on colon cancer risk.
It looks like Gruber is being financed by the U.S. government:[QUOTE]
Researchers at the University of Michigan and the KHC National Center of Cancer Control in Haifa, Israel have been awarded a $4.8 million grant to study genetic aspects of colon cancer.
The five-year study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, will examine how genetic susceptibility to cancer may be modified by diet, medications, and lifestyle.
..........from the U. of Michigan Med School Newsletter
Obviously more research needs be done into the different types of cancers...since these two are mostly the scourges of MEN:D:D! But, both these studies are very encouraging...I always like killing two birds with one stone (or statin!)