[From Reuters and various sources, April 22, 2008.] 

American scientists suggest that Lipitor and Celebrex can help control prostate cancer and stop the deadly disease in its early stages.

According to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, statins and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, either used separately or together, can stop prostate cancer from progressing into more aggressive forms.

The findings showed that compared to high doses of each of the two agents, the combination of the painkiller and the cholesterol-lowering drug at lower doses result in more effective outcomes.

Scientists suggest the new cocktail helps delay the transformation of an androgen-dependent tumor to an androgen-independent one, providing the physicians more time to administer anti-hormone therapy.

Previous studies had noted that androgen-dependent tumors are less aggressive than the ones that are not androgen-dependent.