Statin Therapy Versus Placebo Prior to Prostatectomy
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00572468 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : December 13, 2007
Results First Posted : July 13, 2017
Last Update Posted : July 13, 2017
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Cancer Prostate Cancer | Drug: Simvastatin Other: Placebo | Not Applicable |
Prostate cancer patients that have chosen to undergo a prostatectomy as their primary treatment option will be recruited to this trial. Forty-four subjects will be randomized to either placebo or simvastatin (40 mg po/day) for 4 weeks prior to surgery. Serum samples will be obtained at baseline and immediately prior to prostatectomy. At prostatectomy, cancerous and benign prostate tissue will be microdissected and cryopreserved. Archival prostatectomy tissues will be used to construct tissue microarrays containing matched benign and malignant sections. The effect of HMG-CoA reductase inhibition on lipid raft cholesterol content and targets of prenylation will be determined. The incidence of apoptosis will be determined along with protein levels of mediators of apoptosis. Lastly the effect of statin therapy on cellular markers of proliferation will be determined.
Previously, we studied the effect of statin use on the risk of prostate cancer detection in a case-control study at the Portland VA Medical Center. Statin use was associated with a 62% reduction in cancer odds-risk (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.21-0.69). Although these epidemiologic and laboratory findings have generated enthusiasm for the study of statins in prostate cancer, no studies have examined the biologic effects of statins on prostate cancer in humans.
Hypothesis: Statin therapy prior to prostatectomy will successfully target the mevalonate pathway in the human prostate and this intervention will favorably alter tumor biomarker status.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 42 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Double (Participant, Investigator) |
Primary Purpose: | Screening |
Official Title: | Pre-Operative Statin Therapy Versus Placebo in Human Prostate Cancer |
Study Start Date : | December 2007 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | April 2013 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | April 30, 2017 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Active Comparator: Simvastatin
Twenty-two men will be on the Statin arm and take 40 mg of simvastatin.
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Drug: Simvastatin
40 mg of simvastatin
Other Name: statin |
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
Twenty-two men will be on the placebo arm.
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Other: Placebo
placebo |
- Measure the Effect of Pre-operative Simvastatin Versus Placebo on the Mevalonate Pathway Synthesis and Target Activation in Benign and Malignant Prostate Tissue. [ Time Frame: 5 years ]Measure the effect of pre-operative simvastatin versus placebo on the mevalonate pathway synthesis and target activation in benign and malignant prostate tissue using Androgen Receptor (AR) antibody. AR was measured in tissue obtained at the time of prostatectomy in both benign and malignant tissues.
- Compare the Effect of Pre-operative Simvastatin Versus Placebo on Prostate Cancer Cell Apoptosis and Its Mediators in Men Undergoing Planned Prostatectomy. [ Time Frame: 2 years ]Compare the effect of pre-operative simvastatin versus placebo on prostate cancer cell apoptosis and its mediators in men undergoing planned prostatectomy. Apoptosis was measured by calculating the percent of Ki67 cellular staining.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 21 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | Male |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Histologically confirmed prostatic adenocarcinoma with Gleason 5 to 7 (3+4 = 7 accepted, not 4 + 3 = 7)
- Radical prostatectomy chosen as primary treatment for prostate cancer
- Age 18 years or older
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1
Exclusion Criteria:
- Other preoperative or prior treatment directed at prostate cancer (i.e., Radiation, hormonal therapy, cryotherapy)
- Significant active medical illness which in the opinion of the investigator would preclude protocol treatment
- History of or active liver disease or abnormal results of the baseline liver function test (> 2 x normal)
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Current use of:
- simvastatin
- lovastatin
- other HMG-CoA inhibitors
- lipid-lowering agents
- Amiodarone
- Cholestyramine
- Cholestyramine and colestipol (bile acid sequestrants)
- Clofibrate and fenofibrate
- Cyclosporine
- CYP3A4 inhibitors
- Danazol
- Diltiazem
- Gemfibrozil
- Niacin ( 1 g/day)
- Verapamil and Warfarin
- Known allergy or sensitivity to ingredients in simvastatin

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00572468
United States, North Carolina | |
Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC | |
Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705 | |
United States, Oregon | |
VA Medical Center, Portland | |
Portland, Oregon, United States, 97201 |
Principal Investigator: | Mark Garzotto, MD | VA Medical Center, Portland |
Responsible Party: | VA Office of Research and Development |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00572468 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
CLIN-013-07S VA IRB#1735 ( Other Identifier: VA IRB ) SOL-07130-L ( Other Identifier: OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Identifier ) |
First Posted: | December 13, 2007 Key Record Dates |
Results First Posted: | July 13, 2017 |
Last Update Posted: | July 13, 2017 |
Last Verified: | June 2017 |
cancer pre-operative surgery prostate prostatectomy radiation |
Prostatic Neoplasms Genital Neoplasms, Male Urogenital Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Neoplasms Prostatic Diseases Simvastatin |
Anticholesteremic Agents Hypolipidemic Agents Antimetabolites Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action Lipid Regulating Agents Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors Enzyme Inhibitors |