This is very interesting and perhaps I will not balk at taking statins th 
next time the issue comes up with my doctor. However, somewhere else online 
it is reported that stains have a neutral effect on cancer 
risk.(http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/295/1/74) and 
(http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/115/1/27).

The conclusions do state (below) that further investigation is needed.

Marilyn

* * *

https://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/352/21/2184

Statins and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Jenny N. Poynter, M.P.H., Stephen B. Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., Peter D.R. 
Higgins, M.D., Ph.D., Ronit Almog, M.D., M.P.H., Joseph D. Bonner, M.S., 
Hedy S. Rennert, M.P.H., Marcelo Low, M.P.H., Joel K. Greenson, M.D., and 
Gad Rennert, M.D., Ph.D.

ABSTRACT

Background Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A 
reductase and effective lipid-lowering agents. Statins inhibit the growth of 
colon-cancer cell lines, and secondary analyses of some, but not all, 
clinical trials suggest that they reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
Methods The Molecular Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer study is a 
population-based case–control study of patients who received a diagnosis of 
colorectal cancer in northern Israel between 1998 and 2004 and controls 
matched according to age, sex, clinic, and ethnic group. We used a 
structured interview to determine the use of statins in the two groups and 
verified self-reported statin use by examining prescription records in a 
subgroup of patients for whom prescription records were available.

Results In analyses including 1953 patients with colorectal cancer and 2015 
controls, the use of statins for at least five years (vs. the nonuse of 
statins) was associated with a significantly reduced relative risk of 
colorectal cancer (odds ratio, 0.50; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.40 to 
0.63). This association remained significant after adjustment for the use or 
nonuse of aspirin or other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs; the presence 
or absence of physical activity, hypercholesterolemia, and a family history 
of colorectal cancer; ethnic group; and level of vegetable consumption (odds 
ratio, 0.53; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.38 to 0.74). The use of 
fibric-acid derivatives was not associated with a significantly reduced risk 
of colorectal cancer (odds ratio, 1.08; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.59 
to 2.01). Self-reported statin use was confirmed for 276 of the 286 
participants (96.5 percent) who reported using statins and whose records 
were available.

Conclusions The use of statins was associated with a 47 percent relative 
reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer after adjustment for other known 
risk factors. Because the absolute risk reduction is likely low, further 
investigation of the overall benefits of statins in preventing colorectal 
cancer is warranted.