Category: Prostate
Besides their use in lowering cholesterol, statins have been shown to lower prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in healthy men, and possibly reduce their risk for developing prostate cancer. However, a new study by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital found that statins lower PSA levels even if the patient already has cancer, which could mask the disease from detection by the PSA test.
"We found that PSA levels are actually significantly lower in prostate cancer patients on statins versus prostate cancer patients not on statins," said Dr Piyush K. Agarwal, lead author of the study.
Agarwal went on to say the threshold on the PSA test where one should perform a biopsy may have to be lowered if the patient is on statins.
A PSA blood test is one of the most frequently used ways to screen men for prostate cancer.
The researchers reviewed 3,828 patients undergoing surgery at Henry Ford Hospital from January 2001 to July 2008, and identified 1,031 patients who were taking statins prior to surgery and then compared their PSA levels after controlling for age, BMI, and Gleason score (a measure of what stage of prostate cancer someone has).
The results were presented at American Urological Association's annual meeting in Chicago.
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