Statins Could Cut Lung Cancer Risk

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Future studies should also consider statin dosage and type, as well as other contributing risk factors for cancer such as diet, genetic background, and the possibility of underlying lung disease, his team said.

"What we need to do with future research is get to the point where we can start patients on this medication specifically for cancer prevention," according to Khurana. "Because, right now, we still cannot say that people should take statins to protect against cancer. But we can say that if they have a cholesterol problem and they're taking statins already, they might be deriving additional benefits against cancer from the medications."

Dr. Walid G. Younis, a pulmonary fellow at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center in Oklahoma City, said he was a little surprised at the study findings.

"We did a statin study about one year ago that did not show any benefit in decreasing lung cancer incidence," he cautioned. "It was a much smaller study, but still it makes me wonder if these conclusions will hold true. Especially because the mechanism by which statins might reduce the risk of lung cancer is not very clear. But, certainly, it's absolutely worth continuing to look at the protective possibility of statins."

Schachter agreed that further research is needed.

"Does this study prove that statins are useful for the treatment of lung cancer?" he posited. "No. Will the FDA now approve statins as safe and effective for the treatment of lung cancer? No, not based on this study. It's not definitive. But this work is certainly interesting, and it will spark interest in more research."

More information

For additional information on lung cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.