Statin May Help Prevent HCC in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B

Results from a recent trial demonstrated that statins may lower the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and high cholesterol levels. The study was led by Drs. Dong Hyun Sinn and Danbee Kang and published in BMC Cancer.

Previously, no researchers had performed a randomized, controlled trial analyzing the ability of statins to decrease the risk of HCC in patients with CHB.

Investigators conducted a trial emulation study using the K-NHIS database, which represents South Korea’s entire population. The study analyzed the data of 2915 patients between 40 and 84 years of age with chronic CHB and a cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher who had started statin therapy within the past 6 months. Researchers also reviewed the data of 8525 patients with CHB and a cholesterol level over 200 mg/dL who had not been prescribed statin therapy.

The data were evaluated for HCC development, liver cancer or liver-related mortality, and all-cause mortality.

Of the 11,440 patients observed, 207 developed HCC. In the cohort of patients prescribed statins, the incidence rate of HCC was 0.2 per 1000 person-years. The incidence rate of HCC in the nonstatin group was 0.3 per 1000 person-years.

In the nonstatin cohort, the fully adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for incident HCC was 0.56 (95% CI, 0.39-0.80). The fully adjusted HR evaluating the difference between the statin group and the nonstatin group for liver cancer or liver-related mortality was 0.59 (95% CI, 0.35-0.99). The fully adjusted HR was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.78-1.11) for all-cause mortality.

Researchers noted that across all evaluated subgroups, statin use was correlated with a lower HCC risk.

“In conclusion, the present study showed that statin might have a benefit in preventing HCC in CHB patients with elevated cholesterol levels,” the investigators wrote.

They also recommended that physicians prescribe statins for patients with CHB and dyslipidemia.