Statin use and the risk of kidney cancer: a population-based case–control study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether the use of statins was associated with kidney cancer risk.

Methods: We conducted a population-based case–control study in Taiwan. Cases consisted of all patients who were aged 50 years and older, and had a first-time diagnosis of kidney cancer for the period between 2005 and 2009. The controls were matched to cases by age, sex, and index date. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by using multiple logistic regression.

Results: We examined 177 kidney cancer cases and 708 controls. The adjusted OR for any statin prescription was 1.08 (95% CI = 0.70 – 1.67). Compared with no use of statins, the adjusted ORs were 0.91 (95% CI = 0.50 – 1.63) for the group having been prescribed statins with cumulative defined daily dose (DDDs) below 105 and 1.28 (95% CI = 0.73 – 2.23) for the group with cumulative statin use of 105 DDDs or more.

Conclusions: The present data do not provide evidence to support either beneficial or harmful associations between statin use and kidney cancer risk. However, there is a trend of increased kidney cancer risk with higher cumulative DDDs, and consequently that it is prudent to continue monitoring cancer incidence among long-standing statin users.

Keywords::

• case–control study
• kidney cancer
• pharmacoepidemiology
• statins

Acknowledgments

This study is based in part on data from the National Health Insurance Research Database provided by the Bureau of National Health Insurance, Department of Health and managed by National Health Research Institutes. The interpretation and conclusions contained herein do not represent those of Bureau of National Health Insurance, Department of Health or National Health Research Institutes.