Twelve studies (n=42,902) were included in the review.
There was no significant difference in cancer risk between the pravastatin group and all control groups when using either a fixed-effect model (RR 1.06, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.13; 12 studies) or a random-effects model (RR 1.06, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.14; 12 studies). There was no statistically significant heterogeneity between trials or statistical evidence of publication bias. There was also no significant difference in cancer risk between treatment groups for studies involving at least 3,000 patients and with a minimum duration of 3 years.
There was a statistically significant positive association between cancer risk and mean age, with an increasing relative risk of cancer in the pravastatin group with increasing mean age (p=0.006). This statistical significance remained when restricting trials to those evaluating pravastatin versus placebo, trials with at least 3,000 participants and a minimum duration of three years, and when adjusting for duration of follow-up.