Investigating the Protective Effects of Atorvastatin against Radiotherapy-Induced Gastrointestinal Toxicity in Abdominal and Pelvic Cancers: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) for pelvic cancers often causes gastrointestinal toxicity. While statins show promise in reducing radiation-induced injury through anti-inflammatory properties, their impact on acute toxicity remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on acute gastrointestinal toxicity in patients undergoing pelvic RT for genitourinary or lower gastrointestinal cancers. Method: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients receiving pelvic RT for genitourinary or lower gastrointestinal cancers were assigned to atorvastatin 40 mg or placebo daily. Toxicity was assessed using the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, with individual symptom frequencies as secondary outcomes. For data analysis independent t-tests and repeated measures ANOVA were used. Results: Among 64 randomized patients with comparable baseline characteristics, no significant differences were found in questionnaire scores or symptom incidence between treatment arms (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Atorvastatin did not significantly reduce acute gastrointestinal toxicities during pelvic RT compared with placebo. Larger studies are needed to definitively evaluate statins the gastroprotective potential of statins in this context.