Lowering cholesterol levels may cut prostrate cancer risk
February 24th, 2009 Posted in prostate cancer risksLowering cholesterol may block the growth of prostate tumors, claims a new study
.
Prostate tumors accumulate high levels of cholesterol, and tumor incidence correlates with eating a high fat/high cholesterol diet “Western” diet. In addition, prostate tumor progression has been linked to serum cholesterol levels.
Researchers found that high cholesterol levels promoted tumor growth and that Ezetimibe (Zetia), which blocks the absorption of cholesterol from the intestine, could prevent this increased tumor growth.
Ezetimibe also blocked a cholesterol-mediated increase in angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels required for tumor progression.
These data suggest that reducing cholesterol levels may inhibit prostate cancer growth specifically by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis.
The related report by Solomon et al, “Ezetimibe Is an Inhibitor of Tumor Angiogenesis,” appears in the March 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.