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  • Review Article
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Statins and prostate cancer prevention: where we are now, and future directions

Nature Clinical Practice Urology volume 5, pages 376–387 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs that are widely used to prevent and treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Recent research from both in vitro and in vivo studies suggests that there is an association between the use of statins and a reduction in the incidence of and mortality from prostate cancer. Several mechanisms of action that might bring about these beneficial effects of statins have been proposed, most of which include direct effects of statins on intracellular signaling. In this Review we discuss the current knowledge on the use of statins to prevent prostate cancer. We will also look at future directions for clinical research on this topic.

Key Points

  • Experimental studies have shown that statins inhibit growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro

  • Most clinical trials and observational studies report that overall prostate cancer risk is not affected by statin use

  • Well-designed observational studies report a decreased risk of advanced prostate cancer in statin users; this association is dependent on the duration and quantity of statin use

  • More information on prostate cancer mortality in statin users is needed

  • Possible future clinical trials could assess the potential use of statins to prevent prostate cancer progression

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Figure 1: The mevalonate pathway.
Figure 2: The roles of Ras and Rho in regulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis.

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Acknowledgements

These authors' research was supported in part by grants from the Pirkanmaa Regional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Medical Research Fund of Tampere University Hospital, the Irja Karvonen Cancer Trust and by unrestricted grants from Astellas, the Lilly Foundation, the Schering Foundation and the Research Foundation of Orion Pharma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TJ Murtola is a Researcher at the Department of Epidemiology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital; J Lahtela is a Physician in the Department of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital; H Syvälä is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomy, University of Tampere; TLJ Tammela is a Professor of Urology at the University of Tampere and Chairman of the Department of Urology, School of Public Health, University of Tampere; T Visakorpi is a Professor of Cancer Genetics at the Institute of Medical Technology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.,

    Teemu J Murtola, Tapio Visakorpi, Jorma Lahtela, Heimo Syvälä & Teuvo LJ Tammela

  2. T Visakorpi is a Professor of Cancer Genetics at the Institute of Medical Technology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital,

    Teemu J Murtola, Tapio Visakorpi, Jorma Lahtela, Heimo Syvälä & Teuvo LJ Tammela

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Correspondence to Teemu J Murtola.

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Murtola, T., Visakorpi, T., Lahtela, J. et al. Statins and prostate cancer prevention: where we are now, and future directions. Nat Rev Urol 5, 376–387 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpuro1146

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