Published July, 2013

Association between HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors (Statins) Use and Cancer Occurrence among HIV-1 Treated Patients, V.Spagnuolo, L.Galli, A. Poli, L. Fumagalli1, N. Gianotti, A. Carbone, S. Nozza, S.Bossolasco, A. Lazzarin, A.Castagna (2013)

This study reports a 46% reduction in cancer occurrence over a 10-year period for a sample of over 5,300 people with HIV who were using statins, drugs used to lower cholesterol levels by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. Prior to this study, statin use had been associated with reduced cancer incidence and mortality, both in the general population and also among people with HIV. 

At the end of the 10-year period, researches found that cancer occurred in 1.6% of statin users and in 7.9% of non-statin users; all cancers among statin users were non-AIDS defining malignancies. The researchers concluded that statin use among people with HIV is highly correlated with lower cancer rates.