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Prognostic Impact of Statin Use Among Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma Receiving Nivolumab
According to a multinational study, statin use during treatment with nivolumab may positively affect the prognosis of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
“Statins are widely used in an ageing population, including subjects with solid malignancies. However, no conclusive evidence is currently available on their potential influence on patients' outcome,” wrote Matteo Santoni, MD, Macerata Hospital, Italy, and colleagues.
In this study, researchers analyzed the medical records of 219 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with second- or third-line nivolumab across 10 institutions in Italy, Spain, and the United States between January 2016 and September 2021. Of the 219 patients identified, 59 (27%) had been exposed to statins. Information on the patients’ overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall clinical benefit was gathered and analyses were done to determine whether there was any association between statin use and survival.
The median OS of those patients exposed to statins was 24.4 months, compared to 18.6 months of those without statin exposure (P = .017). Similarly, the median PFS was improved in the statin group (11.7 months) when compared to that of the non-statin group (4.6 months; P = 0.13). The overall clinical benefit of statin users was also higher than that of non-statin users, 71% and 54% respectively (P = .030).
“Our study suggests a prognostic impact of statin use in patients receiving nivolumab for [metastatic renal cell carcinoma],” concluded Dr Santoni and colleagues, adding “The synergy between statins and nivolumab should be carefully elucidated.”
Source:
Santoni M, Massari F, Matrana M, et al. Statin use improves the efficacy of nivolumab in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. Eur J Cancer. Published online June 30, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2022.04.035
