Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30571754›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2018

Statin therapy in the treatment of active cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Mohammed A M Farooqi, Nikita Malhotra, Som D Mukherjee, Stephanie Sanger, Sukhbinder K Dhesy-Thind, Peter Ellis, Darryl P Leong

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 70 citations in OpenAlex.

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  15. Repurposing Drugs in Small Animal Oncology.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Mohammed A M FarooqiDepartment of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-5282-4034
Nikita MalhotraDepartment of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Som D MukherjeeDepartment of Oncology, Division of Medical Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Stephanie SangerHealth Sciences Library, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8456-5823
Sukhbinder K Dhesy-ThindDepartment of Oncology, Division of Medical Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Peter EllisDepartment of Oncology, Division of Medical Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Darryl P LeongDepartment of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1968-169X
McMaster University · CAPopulation Health Research Institute · CA

Funding

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPreclinical evidence suggests statins may have anti-tumor properties. Large observational studies are also consistent with improved survival and cancer-specific outcomes among cancer patients on statins. We sought to evaluate the randomized controlled trials of statins in addition to usual anti-cancer therapy.

methodsA systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Papers First and Clinicaltrials.gov was performed from inception through to July 4, 2017 to identify randomized clinical trials that investigated statin therapy in cancer patients. Our primary outcome was overall survival and our secondary outcome was progression-free survival. We calculated summary hazard ratio's (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) based on random-effects models using aggregate data. PROSPERO (CRD42017065503).

resultsTen studies with 1,881 individuals were included with 1,572 deaths and a median follow-up of 23 months. All trials included patients with advanced (stage 3 or higher) disease. There was minimal between-study statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 1.8%, for OS; I2 = 0%, for PFS). The pooled HR for overall survival in patients randomized to statins plus standard anti-cancer therapy versus standard therapy alone was 0.94 (95% CI, 0.85 to 1.04). In the 9 studies that reported progression-free survival (1,798 participants), the pooled HR for statin plus standard therapy versus standard therapy alone was 0.97 (95% CI, 0.87 to 1.07).

conclusionsIn patients with advanced cancer and a prognosis <2 years, the addition of statins to standard anti-cancer therapy does not appear to improve overall survival or progression-free survival. Future research should assess if cancer patients with better prognosis benefit from longer-term statin therapy.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase InhibitorsNeoplasmsProgression-Free SurvivalRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTime FactorsAntineoplastic AgentsHydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors

Identifiers

PMID30571754
PMCPMC6301687
OpenAlexW2904910017

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.