Statins can prevent the metastasis of breast cancer

What do statins cause for breast cancer??

Statins could be a great way to prevent breast cancer from spreading throughout the body. The medications that are usually taken to treat high cholesterol also seem to block the spread of breast cancer.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have found in their recent research that while statins can not prevent breast cancer, they do not spread breast cancer to other organs. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "British Journal of Cancer" (BJC).

Statins prevented the spread of cancer to the lungs and liver

The experiments on human cells and laboratory mice have shown that statins prevent tumors from migrating to the lungs and liver, explain the experts. The findings of the study could pave the way for statins in combination with chemotherapeutics as a more favorable and effective treatment to combat one of the leading causes of death in women, the researchers add.

Doctors used the drug Atorvastatin

The mice in the study were genetically engineered to develop breast cancer. The researchers used the widely prescribed atorvastatin, which is often marketed under the brand name Lipitor. Taking into account the small size of the mice, the scientists gave them two to ten milligrams of atorvastatin per kilogram of body weight, which is equivalent to the equivalent of 20 and 80 mg pills taken by humans.

Statins restricted metastasis

The results showed that the statins injected into the mice had no effect on the primary breast carcinomas. However, it was different in metastasis, the stage in which cancer spreads to another part of the body. The statins restricted this life-threatening process, in which tumors usually spread to the lungs and liver, rendering it clinically insignificant. The same results were found when researchers implemented a human breast cancer cell into a liver cell.

Used cans were similar to lipid lowering therapy

These effects are important for several reasons, says study author Professor Dr. Alan Wells from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. First, doses of atorvastatin are similar to those for moderate intensity lipid lowering therapy in clinical patients. Second, the scientists found various different effects of atorvastatin on breast cancer cells. While the primary tumor cells were not affected by the statin treatment, the metastatic cells were suppressed.

An early diagnosis of breast cancer is especially important

The published results suggest that statins in combination with chemotherapeutic agents could be used to cure the disease, say the physicians. Breast cancer is a dangerous disease, which often leads to the death of those affected. It is estimated that in 2018 alone, nearly 41,000 women in the United States will die from breast cancer, although rates have fallen since 1989, the experts explain. If the disease is diagnosed at an early stage, the relative survival rate of five years in breast cancer is 99 percent. However, if the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body, the rate drops to just 27 percent, the researchers say. Therefore, therapies that prevent the metastases from spreading are particularly important.

Statins could enable new low-cost therapies

While new cancer medicines are very expensive and need to undergo rigorous testing by the US Food and Drug (FDA), statins are relatively inexpensive. Therefore, the use of FDA-approved drugs with favorable safety profiles could allow for faster clinical implementation of effective therapies at a low cost, says Professor. Wells. (As)