A new National Cancer Institute-sponsored study that includes an Ozarks site evaluates the cholesterol drug, Rosuvastatin, as a treatment to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Rosuvastatin is a statin, a class of drugs that lower cholesterol. The study was developed because laboratory research and studies conducted in large populations of patients taking a statin to reduce cholesterol suggest that taking the drug may, also, decrease the number of colon polyps. Colon polyps can lead to colon cancer if left untreated.
The study will involve 1,740 patients, who have recently been diagnosed with early stage colon cancer, and who were not already taking statins for high cholesterol. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Each group will take one pill a day for five years. One group will receive rosuvastatin, while the other group will receive a placebo.
"There will be an estimated 102,900 new cases of colon cancer in the United States this year," said Dr. Norman Wolmark, NSABP's Chairman. "In fact, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in this country. We hope this trial will be an important step in reducing these numbers."
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