
Leukaemia patients have 61 per cent lower death risk with statins
Blood cancer patients have a 61 per cent lower risk of death if they take statins with treatment, a study has suggested.
About 4,500 people a year are diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and just under 1,000 will die.
But research suggests that statins could be a cheap way to dramatically reduce death rates.
Statins primarily lower cholesterol levels but they also improve overall blood vessel function which can help the immune system and appear to have anti-inflammatory effects.
Researchers from the United Arab Emirates analysed the medical records of 1,467 patients with CLL or SLL who took part in four clinical trials between 2012 and 2019.
About one third of the trial participants were also, unrelatedly, taking a statin, and were found to have a significantly lower risk of death within five years.
'A strong link'
Patients who took a statin had, on average, a 61 per cent reduced risk of dying from their cancer, a 38 per cent reduced risk of death from any cause, as well as a 26 per cent reduced risk of disease progression.
'This is the first systematic evaluation of the association of statin use with survival outcomes in patients with CLL or SLL who have been treated with contemporary targeted agents such as ibrutinib,' said Dr Ahmad Abuhelwa, assistant professor of pharmacy practice and pharmacotherapeutics at the University of Sharjah in the UAE.
'Our results highlight a strong link between statin use and improved survival in this patient population.'
CLL is a slow-growing cancer that starts in the blood-forming cells of the bone marrow and is one of the most common forms of leukaemia.
SLL, also a slow-growing cancer, affects the same type of cells as CLL but starts in lymphoid tissues such as the spleen instead of in the blood-forming cells.
Around 12 per cent of patients would be expected to die within five years of diagnosis with either condition, which suggests that statins could help that fall to around 5 per cent.
It is unknown why statins may aid survival, although several studies have shown that drugs which improve overall health can help to keep other major diseases at bay.
The research also found taking statins on top of cancer medication did not cause any severe or life-threatening side effects, suggesting they could be a safe addition to treatment.
'These findings don't allow us to say for certain that statins directly improve cancer outcomes,' added Dr Abuhelwa.
'However, the fact that this association remained strong even after accounting for multiple factors makes it an important area for future research.'
It is estimated there are already around seven to eight million adults in Britain taking statins, making them one of the most prescribed medications.
The team has now called for clinical trials in which patients with CLL or SLL are randomly assigned to take a statin or not.
The research was published in the journal Blood Advances.

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The Sun
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- The Sun
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Pallor is often more noticeable in light skin but people with black or brown skin may look greyish and their palms may look paler than usual. What is blood cancer? Blood cancer is a type of cancer that affects your blood cells. It's caused by mutations to the DNA of blood cells, causing them to start behaving abnormally. In most cases, these changes aren't due to genetic faults - they are linked to things we can't control and happen during a person's lifetime. Around 40,000 people are diagnosed with blood cancer each year in the UK, and about 280,000 people are living with blood cancer. There are different types of blood cancer, including: Leukaemia Lymphoma Myeloma Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) They each have different symptoms, treatments and prognoses. They might also notice pallor in their lips, gums, tongue or nail beds. If the inside of your lower eyelid looks pale pink or white when it's usually dark pink or red, this is a sigh that you're unusually pale. Lumps may be caused by abnormal white blood cells building up in your lymph glands and they're most likely to appear in the neck, armpit or groin. They're usually painless, although some people find they ache. If you notice any of the above symptoms, it's most likely that you don't have blood cancer - but it's still important to find out what's causing them so it's worth booking an appointment with your GP.