Cholesterol-lowering drugs tied to decreased liver cancer risk for people with Hep C
People with chronic Hep C are less likely to develop liver cancer if they are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins. Reporting in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Taiwanese researchers examined data from over 260 000 people with Hep C in Taiwan from 1999 to 2010. They compared the people who were taking statins to those that weren’t and found that those who took statins were half as likely to get liver cancer as those that didn’t. The study was not able to confirm that statins prevent cancer, but the researchers recommend further research to determine the drug’s effect on liver cancer. Moreover, the study did not find a link between statins and any serious complications. This may help allay concerns that lead some doctors to avoid prescribing statins for people with liver disease. (Reuters.com, March 2013, in English)