Common statin tested to block liver cancer in cirrhosis patients

NCT ID NCT02968810

First seen Nov 01, 2025 · Last updated Jun 19, 2026 · Updated 30 times

Summary

This phase II trial tests whether simvastatin, a common cholesterol-lowering drug, can prevent liver cancer in 52 adults with liver cirrhosis. Participants take simvastatin and are monitored with blood tests and imaging to see if cancer-related markers decrease. The goal is to find a low-cost way to reduce cancer risk in this high-risk group.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

    Los Angeles, California, 90048, United States

  • Centro Comprensivo de Cancer de UPR

    San Juan, 00927, Puerto Rico

  • MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20007, United States

  • Northwestern University

    Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

  • University of Puerto Rico

    San Juan, 00936, Puerto Rico

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

simvastatin (a statin drug, typically used to lower cholesterol)

What this could lead to

If it works, this could point toward a way to lower liver cancer risk in people with cirrhosis using a common, inexpensive drug.

What could go wrong

This is a small, early-phase trial (52 people) looking at blood markers, not cancer rates. Statins can cause muscle pain or liver issues, and the benefit is unproven.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Fibrosis hepatocellular carcinoma

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.