The link between lipids, statins and cancer: is there a role for cardio-oncology?

In human breast cancer specimens, CYP27A1 expression levels correlated with tumor grade(8). [...]lowering circulating cholesterol levels or interfering with its conversion to 27HC may provide a useful strategy to counteract breast cancer. While the data are interesting, several limitations of the studies undermine their significance and applicability to the larger population, as most of the more convincing data are based on meta-analyses of small studies, and most of these are retrospective in nature. [...]limitations in data acquisition, unrecognized confounders and lack of true causality are at play. In addition to their cholesterol lowering effects, statins appear to have pleiotropic effects, such as inhibition of monocyte recruitment, antioxidant activity, immunomodulation and reduction in inflammatory response, all leading to proapoptotic, antiproliferative and anti-invasive states(13). [...]it is hypothesized that both by lowering lipid levels and through their pleiotropic effects, statins will reduce the risk of primary and recurrent cancer. [...]an increasing number of studies have described the protective benefit of statins on cancer incidence and recurrence, though several studies continue to show no relationship.