Prostate cancer is one of the most common in the Italian male population. According to AIRC data, in Italy, 18.5% of all cancers diagnosed in men are prostate cancers. In 2020 alone, there were 36,074 new cases.
It must be said that prostate cancer is not one of the most fatal. In most cases, the disease can be overcome and 92% of patients are still alive 5 years after diagnosis. Not everyone, however, has this luck.
A recent study, carried out by researchers at Queen’s University in Belfast, sought to find a cure for fatal prostate cancers. Their research led them to say that the risk of prostate cancer would drop dramatically in those who use these common anti-cholesterol drugs. In other words, the researchers observed how a drug used to keep cholesterol at bay can lower the risk of prostate cancer. Not only that, the use of this anti-cholesterol drug would serve to reduce the mortality rate associated with this widespread tumor.
The risk of prostate cancer would decrease dramatically in those who use these common anti-cholesterol drugs
A team of researchers from Queen’s University of Belfast conducted a study on the cancer prevention benefits of statins. In particular, the researchers looked at the effects of statins on lethal prostate cancer.
The researchers examined a sample of 44,126 men (all without any diagnosis of prostate cancer). The research looked at the sample from 1990 through 2014, recording every two years which members were using statins and which were not.
During the 24 years of monitoring, 6,305 patients developed prostate cancer, 13% of which were fatal. But the risk rate is significantly lower in those who have taken statins.
Can a drug that keeps cholesterol at bay lower the risk of dying from cancer?
According to the researchers, statin use in the monitoring period influenced the risk of developing (lethal) prostate cancer. In particular, the risks of prostate cancer would be lower in those taking statins. The scholars, starting from the data collected, judge this correlation as very strong.
If the research is confirmed by the rest of the scientific world, it could be a significant step forward in the prevention of prostate cancer.
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