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Statin Use and Risk of Skin Cancer Examined
J Am Acad Dermatol; ePub 2017 Dec 2; Lin, et al
History of high cholesterol was not associated with skin cancer risk, according to a recent study. Longer duration of statin use, however, was associated with a trend towards higher basal cell carcinoma (BCC) risk in men. Previous studies examining the link between statin use and the risk of BCC and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were limited by lack of adjustment for important confounders. In this study, researchers examined the relation between statins and skin cancer risk in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study. They found:
- During follow-up (2000-2010), 10,201 BCC, 1,393 SCC, and 333 melanoma cases were documented.
- History of high cholesterol was not associated with risk of BCC or melanoma.
- Statin use was not associated with risk of BCC, SCC, or melanoma.
- There was a trend towards higher BCC risk with longer duration of statin use in men, but not in women.
Lin BM, Li W-Q, Cho E, Curhan GC, Qureshi AA. Statin use and risk of skin cancer. [Published online ahead of print December 2, 2017]. J Am Acad Dermatol. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2017.11.050.