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HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, NSAIDs and risk of glioma

Jennifer S Ferris1, Lucie McCoy, Alfred I Neugut

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.

International Journal of Cancer
|March 16, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Statins and NSAIDs, including aspirin, may reduce glioma risk. Longer use of these drugs showed stronger inverse associations with glioma development, suggesting a role in brain tumor pathogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Neuro-oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Statins (HMG CoA reductase inhibitors) show inconsistent associations with cancer risk.
  • Limited data exists on statin use and brain tumor risk, specifically glioma.
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are also investigated for their potential role in cancer prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between statin therapy and glioma risk.
  • To evaluate the association between NSAID use and glioma risk.
  • To explore the impact of drug usage duration on glioma risk.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study was conducted with newly diagnosed glioma cases and frequency-matched controls.
  • Data on statin and NSAID use (defined as >6 months, ≥twice weekly) were collected.
  • 517 cases and 400 controls were recruited between July 2007 and January 2010.

Main Results:

  • Simvastatin and lovastatin use were associated with significantly reduced glioma risk (OR=0.49, OR=0.47).
  • Aspirin use was also inversely related to glioma risk (OR=0.68).
  • Significant inverse trends in glioma risk were observed with longer duration of statin and NSAID use (p=0.03, p=0.02).

Conclusions:

  • Statin therapy is associated with a reduced risk of glioma, potentially through pathways involving Ras/Rho GTPases or inflammatory cytokines.
  • NSAID use, particularly aspirin, is also linked to lower glioma risk, highlighting the role of cyclo-oxygenase 2 in glioma pathogenesis.
  • Extended use of both statins and NSAIDs demonstrated the most significant risk reduction for glioma.

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