Differences in discontinuation of statin treatment in women and men with advanced cancer disease

• Published in: Biology of sex differences 2018-10, Vol.9 (1), p.47-47, Article 47
• Main Authors: Bergstrom, H, Branvall, E, Helde-Frankling, M, Bjorkhem-Bergman, L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cancer; Cardiovascular diseases; Care and treatment; Cerebral infarction; Cholesterol; Cohort Studies; Death; Female; Gender; Health risk assessment; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Male; Management; Medical records; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - drug therapy; Neoplasms - mortality; Palliative Care; Patients; Quality of life; Socioeconomic factors; Statins; Stroke; Sweden - epidemiology; Systematic review; Vitamin D; Withholding Treatment - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 2042-6410; 2042-6410
• DOI: 10.1186/s13293-018-0207-5

Statins are often discontinued in patients with advanced cancer since the net effect of treatment is considered negative. However, guidelines concerning discontinuation of statin treatment are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate any differences in time of discontinuation of statin treatment between men and women with advanced cancer disease. Medical records from 195 deceased palliative cancer patients from a previous study cohort were reviewed. Patients treated with statins 2 years before death were identified as "statin users." The time of discontinuation of statin therapy was identified and correlated to time of death. Only patients that had incurable cancer disease at time of statin discontinuation were included in the analysis. Fifty-four patients were identified as statin users, 29 women and 25 men. The average time span between discontinuation of statin treatment and time of death was significantly longer in women than in men, 10 months compared to 4 months (p