Statins may enhance effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors
Key takeaways:
- People with cancer who received statins during immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy had improved prognosis.
- Additional randomized trials are needed to better understand how and why statins help.
Concomitant use of statins improved survival among people with cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, according to results of a meta-analysis.
“These findings highlight the potential of statin as an important adjunctive therapy in the oncology setting,” Yonghe Liao, MD, of Guangxi Medical University School of Pharmaceutical Science, and colleagues wrote. “Given the well-established safety profile, affordability and widespread availability, statin could be readily integrated into clinical practice, pending further validation through prospective randomized clinical trials. The integration of statin into cancer treatment regimens represents a promising strategy to enhance the response to [immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)] and improve patient outcomes, underscoring the need for continued research in this area.”
ICIs have improved outcomes among people with various types of cancer. However, tumors often develop resistance to immune rejection.
Researchers are examining whether combining ICIs with other therapeutic agents may have synergistic potential and help to mitigate immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, Liao and colleagues wrote,
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of statin use for people with cancer treated with ICIs in hopes of yielding evidence that can guide therapeutic decision-making.
Liao and colleagues identified 25 studies (n = 46,154) published before June 20, 2024, that met inclusion criteria.
Common cancer types in the study population included non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma and melanoma.
Researchers used data from all patients in an OS analysis; they used data from 7,786 patients for the PFS analysis.
Pooled results showed improved OS (HR = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.71-0.92) and PFS (HR = 0.8; 95% CI, 0.69-0.92) with concomitant statin use.
Additional randomized controlled trials are needed to validate the findings, Liao and colleagues wrote.
“These results underscore the complexity of assessing the role of statin in cancer therapy and highlight the need for further research to elucidate the potential mechanisms and interactions involved,” researchers wrote. “Future studies should consider the potential confounding factors, such as cancer stage, patient comorbidities and comedications, that may affect the observed outcomes.”
Researchers acknowledged study limitations, including the heterogeneity of the studies included in the analysis, the observational nature of the included studies, potential variations in the health status of patients prescribed statin, the difference in statin dosage between studies and the potential for publication bias.
Collapse
Liao Y, et al. JCO Oncol Pract. 2025;doi:10.1200/OP-24-00583.