Cholesterol Drugs Extend Mesothelioma Survival in New Study
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Cholesterol Drugs Extend Mesothelioma Survival in New Study

ByAlex Strauss

Cholesterol drugs called statins have been shown to improve survival among mesothelioma patients taking PD-1 inhibitors.  The news comes from an international study from cancer researchers in Italy and the Netherlands.  More than 250 patients with pleural mesothelioma or non-small cell lung cancer were evaluated for the study. Researchers found that those who took cholesterol drugs while also receiving PD-1 blockers like Keytruda lived longer and had slower disease progression.  Mesothelioma Patients and Statins The body needs some cholesterol to build healthy cells. But many adults have too much cholesterol in their blood. This can lead to fatty deposits in the arteries that raise the risk for heart disease and stroke.  Cholesterol drugs called statins are designed to bring cholesterol…

Cholesterol Drugs Ineffective Against Mesothelioma
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Cholesterol Drugs Ineffective Against Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A new study from the University of Western Australia has dealt a blow to the idea that the anti-cancer properties of statin drugs could help fight malignant pleural mesothelioma. Statins are a group of drugs that are typically used to lower high cholesterol and treat heart disease by blocking a substance the body needs to make cholesterol. Statins have been found to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in mesothelioma cells and epidemiological evidence has suggested that people on statins have a lower incidence of cancer. Based on these facts, researchers at Australia’s National Center for Asbestos Related Diseases hypothesized that statin drugs might be used to slow the progression of mesothelioma in patients who have it, and possibly even prevent mesothelioma development…