Inverse association between statin use and head and neck cancer: Population‐based case‐control study in Han population

Abstract

Background This case‐control study aimed to find the relationship between prior statin use and head and neck cancer occurrence using a large population‐based database. Methods This study used claims data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. We included 5515 patients with head and neck cancer as cases and 5515 propensity score‐matched patients without head and neck cancer as controls. Conditional logistic regressions were performed to investigate the relationship between head and neck cancer and prior statin exposure. Results Of the 11 030 total sampled patients, 16.95% had previously received prescriptions for statins. In addition, statin exposure was found in 15.99% of cases and 17.91% of controls. The logistic regression also revealed that the adjusted odds ratio of prior statin exposure for cases was 0.86 (95% confidence interval: 0.77‐0.95) compared to propensity score‐matched controls. Conclusion This study found an inverse association between statin usage and head and neck cancer occurrence.

Using genetic variants to evaluate the causal effect of cholesterol lowering on head and neck cancer risk: a Mendelian randomization study

“…A recent case-control study of over 11,000 participants found an inverse association between statin use and the occurrence of HNSCC (OR 0.86, 95%CI 0.77, 0.95, p= <0.01, of prior statin exposure for cases compared to propensity score-matched controls) [18]. However, a wider systematic review found that the evidence for the role of statins in the prevention of HNSCC was limited [72].…”

“…Nonetheless, recent MR studies [29, 30] have identified an association between variants in HMGCR with cancer risk, but not alternative cholesterol-lowering treatments or genetically-predicted LDL-C, suggesting that statins may reduce cancer risk through a cholesterol independent pathway. A recent case-control study of over 11,000 participants found an inverse association between statin use and the occurrence of HNSCC (OR 0.86, 95%CI 0.77, 0.95, p= <0.01, of prior statin exposure for cases compared to propensity score-matched controls) [18]. However, a wider systematic review found that the evidence for the role of statins in the prevention of HNSCC was limited [67].…”

“…is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in (which was not certified by peer review) preprint However, the evidence that cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce the risk of head and neck cancer is limited. Some observational studies report an inverse association of taking statins with both head and neck cancer risk and survival [14,18], but others indicate little evidence of any effect [19]. Observational studies are not randomised and are susceptible to reverse causality and/or confounding [19].…”

Synergistic effects of combined treatment with ultrasound‐mediated cisplatin‐loaded microbubbles and atorvastatin on head and neck cancer

“…In recent years, statins (also known as 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzyme A [HMG‐CoA] reductase inhibitors), which are used to treat hypercholesterolemia, have revealed some unexpected beneficial effects, especially anti‐tumorigenic properties in diverse cancers including colon cancer, 15‐18 pancreatic cancer, 19,20 hepatocellular carcinoma, 21,22 cholangiocarcinoma, 23 prostate cancer, 24 melanoma, 25 leukemia, 26‐28 breast cancer, 29‐31 non‐small‐cell lung cancer, 32 gastric cancer, 33 bladder cancer, 34 ovarian cancer, 35 and head and neck cancer 36,37 . Furthermore, administering statins to patients is associated with reduced risks of cancers, according to several cancer‐database studies 38‐42 . A few studies have also found that statins enhance the effects of chemotherapy agents in head and neck cancer 43 …”

“…36,37 Furthermore, administering statins to patients is associated with reduced risks of cancers, according to several cancer-database studies. [38][39][40][41][42] A few studies have also found that statins enhance the effects of chemotherapy agents in head and neck cancer. 43 Given that statins administration is associated with reduced cancer-related mortality, the mean concentration of statins in human serum (at therapeutic doses) is surprisingly low, at only 1-15 nM.…”