Now statins could help beat ovarian cancer too: Cheap drugs already save an estimated 7,000 lives a year Statins are taken by six million Britons a day to control high cholesterol The drugs are credited with saving an estimated 7,000 lives every year But now researchers claim a commonly used statin could also be effective against cancer cells Statins could be used as an effective treatment for ovarian cancer, a study suggests. The cheap drugs are taken by six million Britons a day to control high cholesterol, and are credited with saving an estimated 7,000 lives every year. But researchers claim that a commonly used statin could also be effective against cancer cells – if a person’s diet is also controlled. The study by Keele University found statins can have an effect against a substance cancer cells make in order to survive, which is also found in some foods. Eliminating these foods from our diet would therefore help statins to fight cancerous tumours. Statins are taken by six million Britons a day to control high cholesterol, and are credited with saving an estimated 7,000 lives every year (stock photo) Lead author Dr Alan Richardson said the statin he believes is most effective for targeting ovarian cancer cells is pitavastatin, which was found to inhibit tumours in mice. It lasts for the longest period out of any statin in the human body, making it more effective for destroying tumours. Dr Richardson believes the statin, which has not yet been tested for its effects on ovarian cancer, could be successful in humans if certain foods – including some types of rice and sunflower oil – are avoided. These foods contain a substance called geranylgeraniol, which potentially undoes the good work the statin does in combating a tumour. Dr Richardson said: ‘For statins to be effective as a cancer therapy, the right statin needs to be used, it needs to be delivered at the right dose and interval, and diet needs to be controlled to reduce sources of geranylgeraniol, which can limit the statins’ effect on cancer cells. ‘Our research found that the tumour-inhibiting effects of pitavastatin in mice were limited when dietary geranylgeraniol was present.’ He added: ‘Statins work in cancer by preventing cancer cells making geranylgeraniol. 'However, geranylgeraniol is present in various foods including sunflower oil and some rice, so in future clinical trials, we need to carefully control diet to limit geranylgeraniol.’ Statins, which cost the NHS just £2 a month, have been used since the 1980s to help reduce cholesterol, slashing the risk of heart death Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, Dr Richardson also noted pitavastatin ‘is available in a generic form, potentially making this a relatively inexpensive treatment’. The next stage of research will be to conduct full clinical trials on humans, which researchers from Keele and Birmingham universities are now working towards. New treatments for ovarian cancer are needed as in many cases the disease becomes resistant to chemotherapy. Only 40 per cent of patients survive beyond five years, and around 7,000 cases are diagnosed every year, with around 4,000 deaths annually. The drug development process can be greatly sped up if existing drugs that are considered safe can be redeployed to treat other diseases. Statins, which cost the NHS just £2 a month, have been used since the 1980s to help reduce cholesterol, slashing the risk of heart death. Research suggests the pills may also help battle conditions including multiple sclerosis, dementia, various forms of cancer and even impotence. But some patients complain of side effects, particularly muscle pain. Source
