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Statins demonstrated no benefit in cancer prevention
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HemOnc Today has written here previously about the possible role for statins in prevention of cancer (see here and here). Epidemiologic studies have suggested that there may be a role for statins in breast cancer prevention and in all types of cancer prevention in men. However, today some negative data for this effect was released in Cancer Prevention Research. Investigators tested oral atorvastatin (Lipitor, Pfizer) and lovastatin in mice and looked at the development of ER-positive and -negative mammary tumors. In short, there was no difference in incidence of mammary tumors.
On a totally different note, I was recently at my dentist's office when I saw a sign like this one and below that a list of famous celebrities who had died of oral cancer. I was then told that it was recommended that I have oral cancer screening (35 years old, never smoker, never drinker ... adding it up in my head, I didn't perceive my risk as being very high. Furthermore I had never heard of this Vizilite test they proposed for screening. What was wrong with a simple visual inspection — if one was needed at all?) I politely declined the fancy screening test, and the dentist seemed to sheepishly accept my refusal rather than push harder, which told me maybe he didn't believe in the necessity of the test either. Apparently I am not the first to raise such questions. As this is a controversial issue, I welcomed this well-written review in a recent New York Times article.