Statins and pancreatic cancer risk

Excerpt

Statins are used to treat hypercholesterolemia, but they have a potential effect on cancer risk. The correlation between statins use and pancreatic cancer risk has been examined in different study populations. A cohort study in Taiwan reported that statins users among patients with type 2 diabetes had a lower incidence rate of pancreatic cancer comparing with non-users (incidence rate ratio 0.46) [1]. Two prospective cohort studies in USA conducted by Hamada et al. published in Journal of Gastroenterology reported that statins use was not statistically associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer in the general population (adjusted odds ratio 0.98 and 95% confidence interval 0.82–1.16) [2]. Their findings were compatible with a case–control study in Taiwan showing that statins use was not statistically associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer in the general population (adjusted odds ratio 0.87 and 95% confidence interval 0.56–1.36) [3]. …