Impact of statin use in head and neck cancer: a nested case–control study

Dyslipidemia and statin use are associated with an increased risk of various cancers. However, the association in head and neck cancer (HNC) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of dyslipidemia and statin use on the development of HNC.

Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort from 2002 to 2019, we compared two groups HNC patients (n = 1006) and matched control participants (n = 4024) after propensity score overlap weighted balancing. The odds ratios (ORs) for HNC development according to dyslipidemia and statin use duration were assessed using propensity score overlap-weighted multivariable logistic regression.

Individuals with untreated dyslipidemia had significantly lower odds of developing HNC than those of normal participants (OR 0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–0.82). Conversely, patients with dyslipidemia who received statin therapy (< 60 days) showed a nearly two-fold increase in the odds of HNC (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.29–2.90). Long-term statin use (≥ 60 days) aligned the odds with those of normal participants (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.76–1.04).

The adverse effect of short-term statin use on HNC development requires further study, and long-term statin use for dyslipidemia treatment does not increase the odds of HNC.