Sandra Davey

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal cancer with an increasing burden. Few clinical trials have evaluated preventive strategies for HCC in high-risk patients with liver cirrhosis. Observational studies show that statins are associated with a reduced HCC risk although a causal link has yet to be established. This multicenter randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase II trial of 40 mg/day oral simvastatin to reduce the likelihood of hepatocarcinogenesis was conducted at four sites in the United States. The primary outcome was the change in serum α-fetoprotein (AFP)-L3% from baseline to 6 months. Secondary biomarker endpoints include changes in serum AFP, serum IL6, serum deoxycholic acid, liver stiffness, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and Fibrosis-4 index score. Comparisons were made using paired t tests or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Forty-five participants completed the intervention and final study assessments [mean age, 58 years; female, 42%; Asian, 2.2%; Black or African American, 11%; White, 87%; Hispanic or Latino, 51%; Child-Pugh (CP) A, 69%; CP B, 16%]. Of 45 participants, 10 (22%) had detectable AFP-L3%, which did not differ between the intervention arms. Serum IL6 levels, detectable in all participants, decreased significantly in the simvastatin group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.02). The number and grade of adverse events did not differ between groups. In this randomized controlled trial, simvastatin was well tolerated in patients with liver cirrhosis but did not result in a decrease in AFP-L3%, potentially owing to the low number of participants with detectable AFP/AFP-L3%. Simvastatin did result in a decrease in IL6, offering one potential anticancer mechanism of simvastatin in the setting of cirrhosis. Prevention Relevance:Increasing liver cancer incidence parallels cirrhosis related to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Statins have the potential to arrest cirrhosis progression and prevent liver cancer. In a phase IIB trial randomizing patients with cirrhosis to simvastatin versus placebo, we found that simvastatin decreased the inflammation biomarker IL6, but not the primary endpoint of AFP-L3.

Supplemental Table 1. Study Participants Representativeness.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal cancer with an increasing burden. Few clinical trials have evaluated preventive strategies for HCC in high-risk patients with liver cirrhosis. Observational studies show that statins are associated with a reduced HCC risk although a causal link has yet to be established. This multicenter randomized double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase II trial of 40 mg/day oral simvastatin to reduce the likelihood of hepatocarcinogenesis was conducted at four sites in the United States. The primary outcome was the change in serum α-fetoprotein (AFP)-L3% from baseline to 6 months. Secondary biomarker endpoints include changes in serum AFP, serum IL6, serum deoxycholic acid, liver stiffness, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and Fibrosis-4 index score. Comparisons were made using paired t tests or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Forty-five participants completed the intervention and final study assessments [mean age, 58 years; female, 42%; Asian, 2.2%; Black or African American, 11%; White, 87%; Hispanic or Latino, 51%; Child-Pugh (CP) A, 69%; CP B, 16%]. Of 45 participants, 10 (22%) had detectable AFP-L3%, which did not differ between the intervention arms. Serum IL6 levels, detectable in all participants, decreased significantly in the simvastatin group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.02). The number and grade of adverse events did not differ between groups. In this randomized controlled trial, simvastatin was well tolerated in patients with liver cirrhosis but did not result in a decrease in AFP-L3%, potentially owing to the low number of participants with detectable AFP/AFP-L3%. Simvastatin did result in a decrease in IL6, offering one potential anticancer mechanism of simvastatin in the setting of cirrhosis. Prevention Relevance: Increasing liver cancer incidence parallels cirrhosis related to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Statins have the potential to arrest cirrhosis progression and prevent liver cancer. In a phase IIB trial randomizing patients with cirrhosis to simvastatin versus placebo, we found that simvastatin decreased the inflammation biomarker IL6, but not the primary endpoint of AFP-L3.