A Surprising New Method for Fighting Liver Cancer: Popular Drug Shows Promise
A study by researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), published in the Journal of Hepatology (JHepa), has revealed unexpected anti-cancer effects of a widely used cholesterol-lowering drug — atorvastatin. The research shows that this drug can significantly slow liver tumor growth, especially in patients with metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as NAFLD.
Why It Matters
Liver cancer is one of the deadliest and most aggressive cancers. It’s often diagnosed in later stages, where surgery is no longer effective. Patients with fatty liver disease — often caused by poor diet and metabolic issues — face particularly poor treatment outcomes, and current therapies offer limited benefits.
What the Study Found
Through laboratory experiments on mice, scientists found that atorvastatin blocks the mevalonate pathway — a metabolic route that cancer cells use to avoid programmed cell death (apoptosis). This pathway is highly active in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, especially when associated with fatty liver disease.
Combination Treatments Amplify the Effect
The researchers observed that when atorvastatin is combined with existing cancer therapies, the effects are greatly enhanced:
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Atorvastatin alone reduced tumor growth by 33%.
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When combined with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy, tumor mass was reduced by 45%.
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When combined with lenvatinib, a targeted cancer drug — the reduction reached 58%.
This shows that atorvastatin not only works independently but also boosts the effectiveness of other treatments.
Future Potential and Global Impact
According to the research team, this discovery opens new possibilities for treating hepatocellular carcinoma. This is particularly important as fatty liver disease is rapidly increasing worldwide, often linked to lifestyle and diet.
If these results are confirmed in human clinical trials, atorvastatin could become a standard part of liver cancer treatment, significantly improving survival rates.
What Is Atorvastatin?
Atorvastatin is a statin — a class of drugs used to lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. Millions of people worldwide take it daily. Now, it could also help in cancer therapy.
Researchers' Comment
“We were surprised by how effective atorvastatin was in fatty liver-related liver cancer models. It offers new treatment avenues and hope for thousands of patients,” the HKUMed team stated.
What’s Next: Clinical Trials
For now, the findings are based on lab experiments, but the team is preparing for multi-center clinical trials. If successful, atorvastatin could soon be part of liver cancer protocols worldwide.
