Statins, a class of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors best known for their cholesterol-reducing and cardiovascular protective activity, have also demonstrated promise in cancer prevention and treatment. This review focuses on their potential applications in head and neck cancer (HNC), a common malignancy for which established treatment often fails despite incurring debilitating adverse effects. Preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that statins may enhance HNC sensitivity to radiation and other conventional therapies while protecting normal tissue, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined, likely involving both cholesterol-dependent and -independent effects on diverse cancer-related pathways. This review brings together recent discoveries concerning the anticancer activity of statins relevant to HNC, highlighting their anti-inflammatory activity and impacts on DNA-damage response. We also explore molecular targets and mechanisms and discuss the potential to integrate statins into conventional HNC treatment regimens to improve patient outcomes.
他汀类药物作为一类HMG-CoA还原酶抑制剂，以降胆固醇和心血管保护作用最为人熟知，近年也展现出在癌症预防与治疗领域的潜力。本综述聚焦于其在头颈癌领域的潜在应用——这是一种常见恶性肿瘤，现有标准疗法常伴随严重不良反应且易发生治疗失败。临床前与临床研究提示他汀类药物可能增强头颈癌细胞对放疗及其他常规疗法的敏感性，同时保护正常组织，但其作用机制尚未完全阐明，可能涉及通过依赖胆固醇与不依赖胆固醇的途径影响多种癌症相关信号通路。本文系统综述了他汀类药物抗头颈癌活性的最新发现，重点阐述其抗炎作用及对DNA损伤应答的影响，同时深入探讨相关分子靶点与作用机制，并讨论将他汀类药物整合至常规头颈癌治疗方案以改善患者预后的可能性。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家