Statin use and risk for ovarian cancer: a Danish nationwide case-control study

Br J Cancer. 2015 Jan 6;112(1):157-61. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2014.574. Epub 2014 Nov 13.

Abstract

Background: Limited data suggest that statin use reduces the risk for ovarian cancer.

Methods: Using Danish nationwide registries, we identified 4103 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer during 2000-2011 and age-matched them to 58,706 risk-set sampled controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for epithelial ovarian cancer overall, and for histological types, associated with statin use.

Results: We observed a neutral association between ever use of statins and epithelial ovarian cancer risk (OR=0.98, 95% CI=0.87-1.10), and no apparent risk variation according to duration, intensity or type of statin use. Decreased ORs associated with statin use were seen for mucinous ovarian cancer (ever statin use: OR=0.63, 95% CI=0.39-1.00).

Conclusions: Statin use was not associated with overall risk for epithelial ovarian cancer. The inverse association between statin use and mucinous tumours merits further investigation.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Denmark / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / administration & dosage*
  • Middle Aged
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Registries
  • Risk

Substances

  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors