Statins could be new treatment option in women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer

Researchers have called for clinical trials into the effects of statins in women with recurrent breast cancer, after finding that these cancers can make a molecule from cholesterol that mimics oestrogen.

As many as 40 000 women in the United Kingdom have oestrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer diagnosed each year, and many are treated after surgery with tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors to block the effects of oestrogen and to reduce the risk of recurrent disease. But, even after endocrine treatment, around 12 000 women with ER positive breast cancer have a recurrence.

In a study reported in the journal …