Taking a Statin Can Reduce Ovarian Cancer Risk

The Harvard study looked at 2,040 women with EOC and 2,1000 women who didn’t have cancer. Researchers found that the risk of developing ovarian cancer was 32% lower for statin users. The reduction in ovarian cancer risk was most apparent in women who had taken a statin for 2 to more than 4 years.

Researchers also found that the benefit of taking a statin to prevent ovarian cancer increased for women who used both a statin and a non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug, or a statin plus aspirin. There has been a lot of back and fourth about the benefits of aspirin for cancer risk in the past year alone. In a study released last month, researchers said that women who took a daily low-dose aspirin reduced their risk of developing ovarian cancer by 23%. However, doctors are not yet in a place to proclaim that aspirin can reduce every woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer – and the risks always need to be considered.

The same can be said for the statin study too. As with all new discoveries about cancer prevention, more research will need to be done before doctors can say anything for sure. It’s also important to note that statins did not show any reduced risk for women under 50 years old, and the risk reduction was only observed in women who were not obese and who did not have diabetes.

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