Statins Show Promise in Reducing Death from Ovarian Cancer

Women with ovarian cancer who take statins to lower their cholesterol have a 40% lower death rate.

“These drugs are appealing as they are widely used, inexpensive, and well tolerated in most patients. The associated reduction in ovarian cancer mortality is promising,” said Dr. Kala Visvanathan, lead researcher of a new study presented last week during the American Association for Cancer Research Virtual Annual Meeting II.

Dr. Visvanathan, professor of epidemiology and oncology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, said all statins reduced the risk of dying, with lipophilic statins such as simvastatin and lovastatin, decreasing the likelihood by an average 43%. The most significant reductions occurred in those with high-grade serous carcinoma (40% reduction in mortality) and endometrioid ovarian cancer (50% reduction.)

The findings are the most comprehensive to date and add support to other, smaller studies showing similar improvements in ovarian cancer mortality from statins.

Most recently, a team of researchers at Australia’s QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, analyzed 36 studies of several common medications taken by ovarian cancer patient. They concluded statin use showed the most promise. “Statin use is associated with better ovarian cancer survival,” they wrote in an article this month in Gynecologic Oncology, cautioning that, “Further study, preferably a clinical trial, is required.”

At the AACR meeting, Visvanathan said her team reviewed data on 10,062 ovarian cancer patients from the Finnish national cancer registry. 2,621 used statins, and 80% of those used lipophilic statins.

“Our results provide further evidence in support of the clinical evaluation of lipophilic statins as part of the treatment of ovarian cancer,” Visvanathan said.

Ovarian cancer is a rare cancer type, accounting for only about 1.2% of cancer cases diagnosed in the United States each year. Its five year survival rate is less than 50% because of the difficulty of diagnosing it until it has progressed to an advanced stage.

Impact of Women in Leadership
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

Impact of Women in Leadership

Recognizing Women’s History Month in the Workplace
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

Recognizing Women’s History Month in the Workplace

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher
Accounting + Finance General Interest Green Key News Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher

Women in Leadership at GKR
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

Women in Leadership at GKR

Spain Becomes First European Country to Offer Paid Menstrual Leave
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Worklife

Spain Becomes First European Country to Offer Paid Menstrual Leave

Green Key Unlocked: Benefits of Travel Nursing
General Interest Green Key News Healthcare Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: Benefits of Travel Nursing

How to Maintain Culture in Remote Environments
Architecture + Engineering General Interest Green Key News Worklife

How to Maintain Culture in Remote Environments

Tips to Strengthen Time Management
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

Tips to Strengthen Time Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Katie Kressel
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Professional Support Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Katie Kressel

Workplace Trends 2023
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

Workplace Trends 2023

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jason Kien
Accounting + Finance General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jason Kien

How to Use ChatGPT to Build a Resume
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Marketing Technology Worklife

How to Use ChatGPT to Build a Resume

Green Key Unlocked: Data Roles in IT
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: Data Roles in IT

The New Marketing & Sales Team
Marketing Technology

The New Marketing & Sales Team

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Matt Schirano
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Leadership + Management Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Matt Schirano

Green Key Unlocked: The Effect of Tech Layoffs
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Leadership + Management Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: The Effect of Tech Layoffs

How to Prepare for a Recruiter Interview with a Staffing Agency
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

How to Prepare for a Recruiter Interview with a Staffing Agency

5 Ways to Make Your Job More Meaningful
General Interest Green Key News Worklife

5 Ways to Make Your Job More Meaningful

Minimum Wage Increases in 2023
Accounting + Finance Architecture + Engineering Financial Services General Interest Green Key News Healthcare Human Resources Information Technology Leadership + Management Legal Support Marketing Technology Pharma Professional Support Worklife

Minimum Wage Increases in 2023

Latest Blog Posts
View All Posts
Impact of Women in Leadership

Impact of Women in Leadership

As we near the end of Women’s History Month, we not only strive to admire all women who have fought...
Read More
Recognizing Women’s History Month in the Workplace

Recognizing Women’s History Month in the Workplace

If you're looking for ways your organization can recognize female contributions, both this month and beyond, we've compiled a handful...
Read More
How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

Establishing an inclusive culture and focusing on employee health can boost productivity, encourage teamwork, and increase better communication.
Read More