# Prognostic role of statins in colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

## TL;DR

This study finds that using statins is linked to better survival outcomes for colorectal cancer patients, both before and after diagnosis.

## Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive meta-analysis showing that statin use reduces all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in CRC patients.

## Key findings

- Statin use significantly reduced all-cause mortality (HR: 0.80) in CRC patients.
- Statin use was associated with lower cancer-specific mortality (HR: 0.77) in CRC patients.
- Benefits were observed for both pre-diagnosis and post-diagnosis statin use.

## Abstract

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of global cancer incidence and mortality. While the anti-tumor potential of statins has gained increasing attention, their exact impact on patient prognosis remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to comprehensively assess the association between statin use and survival outcomes in patients with CRC.

We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases for studies published from inception until October 31, 2025, that compared the impact of statin use versus non-use on the prognosis of patients with CRC. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The effect of statins was measured using hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and a random-effects model was employed for all pooled analyses.

A total of 25 observational studies involving 179, 979 CRC patients were included. Statin use was significantly associated with reduced ACM (HR: 0.80; 95%CI: 0.74-0.86; P < 0.001) and CSM (HR: 0.77; 95%CI: 0.73-0.81; P < 0.001) in CRC patients. These benefits were consistently observed in both pre-diagnosis (ACM: HR = 0.78; CSM: HR = 0.78) and post-diagnosis statin use (ACM: HR = 0.83; CSM: HR = 0.75). However, no significant association was found between statin use and DFM (HR: 0.88; 95%CI: 0.60-1.29; P = 0.513) or RFM (HR: 1.01; 95%CI: 0.94-1.09; P = 0.831).

Statin use is associated with a significant reduction in ACM and CSM among CRC patients. This benefit is consistently observed with both pre-diagnosis and post-diagnosis use, suggesting statins may serve as a potential intervention to improve prognosis in CRC patients.t

https://inplasy.com/, identifier INPLASY2025110064.