Statins & Blood Cancer Survival: New Research
Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who take statins may see a significant survival benefit, reveals new research. A compelling study detailed in blood advances discovered a 61% lower risk of cancer-related death among CLL/SLL patients already using statins when starting cancer treatment, when compared too those not on the cholesterol-lowering drugs. This is a strong signal for the primarykeyword: statins effect on patients. The study looked at data from nearly 1,500 patients, shedding light on the potential secondarykeyword: benefits of statin use for CLL/SLL. The research considered multiple factors,including various treatments and patient characteristics. News Directory 3 reports these findings, which underscore the need for further inquiry into how statins might impact cancer biology. Discover what’s next for this promising area of research.
Statins linked to Improved Survival in CLL, SLL Blood Cancers
Updated May 29, 2025
A recent study published in Blood Advances indicates that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) who were on statins, common cholesterol-lowering drugs, when starting cancer treatment experienced a 61% decrease in the risk of dying from their cancer.The research compared these patients to those not taking statins.
CLL, the most prevalent form of leukemia in U.S. adults, adn SLL are slow-growing cancers. CLL originates in bone marrow blood-forming cells,while SLL affects the same cells but begins in lymphoid tissues,such as the spleen.
Ahmad Abuhelwa, assistant professor at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and the study’s principal investigator, noted the importance of the findings. “Our results highlight a strong link between statin use and improved survival in this patient population,” Abuhelwa said.He added that this was the first systematic evaluation of statin use and survival in CLL or SLL patients treated with modern targeted agents like ibrutinib.
Researchers analyzed data from 1,467 CLL or SLL patients involved in four international clinical trials between 2012 and 2019. In these trials, patients were assigned to ibrutinib, either alone or with other drugs, or a regimen excluding ibrutinib.Approximately 29% (424 patients) were taking a statin when treatment began. The median age was 65; 66% were men, and 92% had CLL, either newly diagnosed, recurrent, or unresponsive to previous treatment.
The study assessed cancer-specific survival, overall survival, and progression-free survival.It also looked at the proportion of patients experiencing severe adverse events. The median follow-up was five years for overall survival and 22 months for progression-free survival.
The analysis accounted for factors like diagnosis, age, sex, weight, physical functioning, disease severity, time since diagnosis, co-existing illnesses, other medications, and anti-cancer treatment.
The results showed that statin users had a 38% reduced risk of death from any cause and a 26% lower risk of disease progression, nonetheless of other factors. Statin use did not increase the risk of severe adverse events.
“These findings don’t allow us to say for certain that statins directly improve cancer outcomes,” said Dr. Abuhelwa. “However, the fact that this association remained strong even after accounting for multiple factors makes it an vital area for future research.”
What’s next
Abuhelwa suggested further lab studies to understand how statins might influence cancer biology, and also clinical trials where CLL or SLL patients are randomly assigned to statins or a placebo.