Private MD News

Cholesterol drug may lead to improved treatment of prostate cancer

Category: Prostate

Men who have received a positive prostate cancer test may have a new hope for treating their disease. Results from a new study show that a drug commonly used to lower cholesterol may also be effective at curbing tumor growth in the prostate.

Researchers from St. Michael's Hospital found that statin medications - in particular Rosuvastatin, which is sold as Crestor - suppressed the growth of human prostate cancer cells that were transplanted to mice.

"Our data provided solid pre-clinical evidence and a strong rationale for clinical trials of statins in the treatment of prostate cancer," said Xiao-Yan Wen, who led the investigation.

He added that improvements in PSA testing and cancer treatment have led to improved survival rates for prostate cancer. However, the disease remains one of the leading causes of death in men, and improved treatment options could help doctors save millions of lives.

In fact, more than 32,000 men die from prostate cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society.