Statins, which are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, are an effective pharmacological tool for lowering blood cholesterol levels. This property makes statins one of the most popular drugs used primarily to prevent cardiovascular diseases, where hyperlipidemia is a significant risk factor that increases mortality. Nevertheless, studies conducted mainly in the last decade have shown that statins might prevent and treat liver cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. This narrative review summarizes the scientific achievements to date regarding the role of statins in liver tumors. Molecular biology tools have revealed that cell growth and proliferation can be inhibited by statins, which further inhibit angiogenesis. Clinical studies, supported by meta-analysis, confirm that statins are highly effective in preventing and treating hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. However, this effect may depend on the statin’s type and dose, and more clinical trials are required to evaluate clinical effects. Moreover, their potential hepatotoxicity is a significant caveat for using statins in clinical practice. Nevertheless, this group of drugs, initially developed to prevent cardiovascular diseases, is now a key candidate in hepato-oncology patient management. The description of new drug-statin-like structures, e.g., with low toxicity to liver cells, may bring another clinically significant improvement to current cancer therapies.
他汀类药物作为3-羟基-3-甲基戊二酰辅酶A（HMG-CoA）还原酶抑制剂，是降低血液胆固醇水平的有效药理工具。这一特性使他汀类药物成为预防心血管疾病最常用的药物之一，而高脂血症正是导致死亡率升高的重要风险因素。然而，主要在过去十年中进行的研究表明，他汀类药物可能预防和治疗肝癌——全球癌症相关死亡的主要原因之一。本文综述总结了迄今为止关于他汀类药物在肝脏肿瘤中作用的科学成果。分子生物学工具揭示，他汀类药物可抑制细胞生长和增殖，并进一步抑制血管生成。荟萃分析支持的临床研究证实，他汀类药物在预防和治疗肝细胞癌和胆管癌方面非常有效。然而，这种效果可能取决于他汀类药物的类型和剂量，需要更多临床试验来评估其临床效果。此外，其潜在的肝毒性是临床实践中使用他汀类药物的重要注意事项。尽管如此，这类最初为预防心血管疾病而开发的药物，现已成为肝肿瘤患者管理的关键候选药物。新型药物-他汀类结构的描述，例如对肝细胞毒性较低的结构，可能为当前癌症治疗带来另一项具有临床意义的改进。
Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover: The Role of Statins in Liver Cancer
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家