Statins as potential adjuvant therapy in lung cancer: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite significant advances in lung cancer treatment, many patients respond poorly to existing standard treatments and are prone to developing drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new pharmacological interventions. As a potential adjuvant therapy, statins have shown promise in the treatment of lung cancer. These drugs inhibit the mevalonate pathway, suppressing tumor cell growth and metastasis, inducing apoptosis, and enhancing the efficacy of anti-lung cancer drugs. This review aims to evaluate the role of statins in lung cancer treatment and explore their potential in combination with standard therapies. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify studies on the use of statins in lung cancer treatment, including their application in combination with standard therapies and their molecular mechanisms in inhibiting lung cancer. The search encompassed multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Relevant articles were selected based on their titles, abstracts, and keywords, and the final selection was made according to the study's relevance and quality. Key Content and Findings: Statins have shown potential in lung cancer treatment, inhibiting tumor cell growth and metastasis, inducing apoptosis, and enhancing the efficacy of anti-lung cancer drugs. The combination of statins with standard treatments has been found to improve treatment outcomes and exhibit synergistic effects in some cases. However, clinical trial results have been inconsistent, and further research is needed to determine the role of statins in lung cancer treatment. Additionally, the study found that the effects of statins differ depending on the type and stage of lung cancer, and that lipophilic statins are more effective than hydrophilic statins. Conclusions: Statins have shown promise in lung cancer treatment, and their combination with standard treatments may be an effective strategy to improve treatment outcomes. However, further large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of statins in lung cancer treatment, as well as in determining the optimal dosage and treatment regimen. This will provide the best possible treatment outcomes for lung cancer patients.