Statin vs PSA

[Domas]

I started taking Statin a few days ago, because Cholestrol (LDL+HDL) soared to 285 after I took bicalutamide. All of sudden, it appears that my PSA went down from 0.20 to .019 within 5 days of taking Atorvastatin. Is that a possible scenario? Statin was prescribed by my primary care doctor and not by my cancer doctor. My Primary care doctor said my cholestrol level is too much dangerous. If statin reduces PSA level, how much does it go down? Is there anybody who has this kind of experience with Statin? Doctor said I have to take statin for at least 3months. I don't know what will happen thereafter. My brother said that I have to take it until I die. Is that true? I am concerned about its side effects. I am also taking Metformin. My sugar is 95.

[LearnAll]

Statins are known to slow prostate cancer. The age old dictum is "What is good for heart...Is good for prostate."

[Tall_Allen]

Statins may lower PSA without slowing prostate cancer, as in these studies:

bjui-journals.onlinelibrary...

karger.com/Article/Abstract...

[Domas in reply to Tall_Allen]

I see. But, there is an article written by a scientist, saying that Statins strengthen the immunity and thereby slow the cancer growth. I am confused. See, cedars-sinai.edu/research/n...

[Tall_Allen in reply to Domas]

Other than Provenge, immune stimulation has proven to be ineffective for prostate cancer. Lab studies like the one you cited are useless.

The highest level of evidence so far, Mendelian randomization studies, show no effect. They looked at men who had a natural genetic mutation that duplicates the way statins act and compared them to normal men. They had no statistically significant difference in prostate cancer risk:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

It will take a randomized clinical trial like the one below to prove effectiveness, but so far the data are equivocal in observational studies (like the ones above).

clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show...

[Justfor_]

0.2 to 0.019 within five days, not even God could have done it. Reason is simple and indisputable : PSA has a half life of 2.5 to 3.5 days. Consequently, supposing that during the first day you started taking statin your body stopped producing ANY new PSA, the decay of the then existing one could have NOT gone lower to 0.2/4=0.05. Your case is typical of lab errors, a retest will confirm it.

[Domas in reply to Justfor_]

I am sorry. There was a typo error. My PSA went to 0.19 (not 0.019) from 0.2 in 5 days after taking statin.

[Justfor_ in reply to Domas]

Within the allowable variance of the test then (-5%), so not conclusive. Also, check my Bicalutamide maneuvers thread, I am doing sort of what your onco is after via the intermittent 2 weeks on 2 weeks off but in a more educated way.

[Medline]

Prostate cancer cells are as sensitive to cholesterol depletion as androgen depletion, and to overcome statins, they activate sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP-2), but dipyridamole or metformin may inhibit statin-induced SREBP-2 activation.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/310...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/305...

Statin-resistant prostate cancer cells and activation of SREBP-2 may be one of the reasons why statins cannot slow tumor growth.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/268...

[Domas in reply to Medline]

Thanks a lot. Yes, this is what I have been looking for many years. You gave me the answer.

[London441]

Statins are not likely to affect your PSA, as you are finding out so I won’t add to that.

Being concerned about its side effects is what I wouldn’t bother with if I were you. Most people don’t have them, and they strongly reduce your risk of heart disease (which has a far better chance of killing you than Pca) This should far outweigh any side effects concerns. What are your triglycerides?

[Domas in reply to London441]

My Triglycerides is 85.

[London441 in reply to Domas]

85 is good. What about your HDL? Do you exercise?

[Benkaymel]

I have had high cholesterol all my adult life and started on Atorvastatin around 5 years ago (well before my PCa began). At first, it gave me mild fatigue but that has since cleared and I have no other obvious SEs from it. Clearly, it didn't prevent me from getting PCa though! It has kept my cholesterol down to healthy levels and I expect to remain on it for the rest of my life.

[Domas in reply to Benkaymel]

Thanks for the info.

[Currumpaw]

Pitavastatin combined with Metformin was found to be a potent prostate cancer cell killer by the scientists at John Hopkins. Copy all between the lines to access the article. Look at the date the article was written. It is relatively recent, done at a very respected hospital. _____________________________________________________________________________

Statins Starve Cancer Cells to Death - Johns Hopkins Medicine …

originalText › news › newsroom › news...

_____________________________________________________________________________

Excerpts:

"The findings, say the researchers, enhance previous evidence that statins could be valuable in combating some forms of cancer. In unrelated studies, other Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have studied how statins may cut the risk for aggressive prostate cancer."

"Devreotes and his team began the new study with an unbiased screen of about 2,500 drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to see which ones had the best kill rate of cells genetically engineered to have a mutation in a cancer gene called PTEN. The gene codes for an enzyme that suppresses tumor growth. Among the thousands of drugs, statins and in particular pitavastatin, emerged as a top contender in cancer-killing ability. Most of the other drugs had no effect or killed normal and engineered cells at the same rate. Equal concentrations of pitavastatin caused cell death in nearly all of the engineered cells, but very in few normal cells."

My best to you,

Currumpaw

[dadzone43]

I do not know how old you are. Statins for people above 75 are marginally helpful on cardiac risk. Older ages: no real proof. They do lower PSA in some people. That is an associated finding. No reason not to take advantage of that feature, too.