The widespread clinical use of
statins has contributed to significant reductions of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Increasing preclinical and epidemiological evidences have revealed that
dyslipidemia is an important risk factor for
carcinogenesis, invasion and
metastasis, and that
statins as powerful inhibitor of
HMG-CoA reductase can exert prevention and intervention effects on
cancers, and promote sensitivity to anti-
cancer drugs. The anti-
cancer mechanisms of
statins include not only inhibition of
cholesterol biosynthesis, but also their pleiotropic effects in modulating angiogenesis, apoptosis, autophagy,
tumor metastasis, and tumor microenvironment. Moreover, recent clinical studies have provided growing insights into the therapeutic potentials of
statins and the feasibility of combining
statins with other anti-
cancer agents. Here, we provide an updated review on the application potential of
statins in
cancer prevention and treatment and summarize the underneath mechanisms, with focuses on data from clinical studies.