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

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of statins was associated with esophageal cancer risk.

Methods: A population-based case-control study was conducted in Taiwan. Cases consisted of all patients who were aged 50 years and older and had a first-time diagnosis of esophageal cancer for the period between 2004 and 2010. 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: A total of 197 esophageal cancer cases and 788 controls were examined. The unadjusted ORs for any statin prescription was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.56 – 1.34) and the adjusted OR was 0.96 (95% CI = 0.59 – 1.58). Compared with no use of statins, the adjusted ORs were 0.77 (95% CI = 0.39 – 1.55) for the group having been prescribed statins with cumulative defined daily dose (DDDs) below 115 and 1.16 (95% CI = 0.63 – 2.14) for the group with cumulative statin use of 115 DDDs or more.

Conclusions: The present data do not provide evidence to support either beneficial or harmful associations between statin use and esophageal cancer risk.

Keywords::

• case-control study
• esophageal cancer
• pharmacoepidemiology
• statins