The Association of Prediagnostic Statin Use with Aggressive Prostate Cancer from the Multiethnic Cohort Study

Background: There is a growing body of evidence supporting the protective effect of statins on the risk of prostate cancer, in particular aggressive disease. Past research has mostly been conducted in North American cohorts of White men. Methods: In the multiethnic cohort (MEC), we investigated the association of prediagnostic statin use with the incidence and mortality of prostate cancer across five racial/ethnic groups (White, African American, Japanese American, Latino, and Native Hawaiian). Results: Among 31,062 male participants who completed a detailed medication questionnaire, 31.4% reported use of statins, 2,748 developed prostate cancer, and 261 died from the disease. After adjusting for potential confounders, prediagnostic statin use was associated with a 32% lower risk of fatal prostate cancer [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.50-0.91], with the inverse association suggested consistently across the five racial/ethnic groups. Moreover, an 11% lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer (95% CI = 0.76-1.03) was observed in statin users than in nonusers. We found no statistically significant association between prediagnostic statin use and total prostate cancer or nonaggressive disease. Prediagnostic statin use was suggestively associated with a 19% reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality (95% CI = 0.59-1.10) and an 8% reduction in all-cause mortality (95% CI = 0.79-1.07). Conclusions: In the MEC, prediagnostic use of statin was associated with lower risks of aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Impact: Our findings provide further support for the potential benefits of statins in reducing the risk and mortality of prostate cancer, especially aggressive disease.

Automated summary

This study found an association between the use of statins and a lower risk of prostate cancer and mortality, particularly in aggressive forms of the disease. This association was consistent across different racial and ethnic groups.