In the prostate cancer world we often discuss treatment options, some approved by the FDA and some not approved. Among the treatment options bantered about are statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase inhibitor) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). According to the folklore both these drugs are associated with reducing the risk of prostate cancer and improved survival in men with prostate cancer.

Katz etal retrospectively examined the association between statin drugs and NSAIDs among 7042 men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP, 4611) or radiotherapy (RT, 2431) for prostate cancer between 1990 and 2003. Their data was drawn from the id Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE), a national cancer registry.

The researchers compared clinical and sociodemographic variables by statin and NSAID use, using chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression. They examined associations between medications and comorbid illness with mortality using unadjusted and adjusted Cox proportional hazard models.

They found the median (range) follow-up from treatment was 4 (0-16) years. When they performed a multivariate survival analysis, statin use was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality (ACM) after RP (hazard ratio, HR, 0.35, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.21-0.58) and RT (0.59, 0.37-0.94). They also found that NSAID use was also associated with a reduced risk of ACM after RP (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.30-0.75) and RT (0.39, 0.25-0.59).

Their conclusions were clear, in men with prostate cancer men who have used either statin drugs or NSAID were associated with a reduced risk of all cause mortality (they lived longer).

Reference:
BJU Int. 2010 Feb 11. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2010.09232.x; Katz MS, Carroll PR, Cowan JE, Chan JM, D’Amico AV.

PubMed Abstract
PMID: 20151961

Joel T Nowak, M.A., M.S.W.