OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of blood lipid in patients with colorectal cancer complicated by coronary heart disease (CHD) and the effect of lipid-lowering therapy with statins in these patients.

METHODSIn 32 pathologically confirmed colorectal cancer patients with CHD, the concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) were detected at the baseline, before and after the operation, and at 6 months of postoperative atorvastatin treatment. Thirty patients with TC over 5.70 mmol/L and established coronary artery disease served as the control group.

RESULTSTC, TG and LDL-C in the 30 control patients were significantly decreased after 6 months of 20 mg atorvastatin treatment, and even further decreased till 12 months (P<0.01), but no significant changes occurred in HDL-C and Lp(a). The baseline level of TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C were significantly decreased (P<0.01), while Lp(a) increased (P<0.05) in the 32 cancer patients with CHD. Continuing atorvastatin treatment further decreased TC, TG and LDL-C (P<0.05) and increased HDL-C (P<0.05) without affecting Lp(a). The cancer patients had significantly lower TC and LDL-C levels than the control group (P<0.05), but had significantly increased Lp(a) (P<0.05). Six months of atorvastatin treatment further decreased LDL-C and HDL-C in the cancer patients (P<0.05), while TC and Lp(a) had no significant changes.

CONCLUSIONSIncreased Lp(a) in colorectal cancer patients can be associated with its anti-tumor effect. Alterations in the blood lipid profile raises a new issue concerning the safety of lipid-lowering therapy in colorectal cancer patients complicated by CHD.