Can a Cholesterol Drug Help Treat Cancer?

A new tool that might help fight certain cancers of the head, neck and cervix could come from an unexpected source: a commonly prescribed cholesterol medication now under investigation in a clinical trial for cancer.

Researchers are exploring whether the drug fenofibrate (brand names Triglide, Fibricor, Lipofen) can use the body’s natural cancer-fighting abilities against cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

“Approximately 80-90 percent of men and women will test positive for HPV at some point in their life,” explains Stacy Smrz, MD, MPH, a gynecologic oncologist at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center. “Almost all cervical cancers – and a significant percentage of head and neck cancers – are linked to this common viral infection.” Some vaginal, vulvar, anal and penile cancers are also caused by underlying HPV infection.

Exploring a New Use for an Old Drug

Fenofibrate is FDA-approved and has been prescribed for more than 30 years to help lower high levels of harmful cholesterol, mainly triglycerides, while increasing levels of “good cholesterol” known as HDL. Dr. Smrz and her colleague, gynecologic oncologist Lindsay Ferguson, MD, are currently enrolling patients in a clinical trial to explore whether the cholesterol drug could offer a safe and effective treatment option for HPV-positive cervical cancer or precancer of the cervix.

Treatment for cervical cancer typically includes surgery, along with chemotherapy or radiation. In the trial, researchers will give patients diagnosed with cervical cancer the cholesterol medication before going into surgery or before starting radiation treatment. They will examine their cells to see if their ability to fight cancer is improved.

In earlier studies in mice, the drug helped to “reprogram” tumor cells and allow the cells repair themselves. “An HPV infection interferes with the body’s typical immune response when fighting cancer,” says Dr. Ferguson. “We’re exploring whether this medication can help turn those fighting abilities back on in human patients.”

More Tools in the Fight Against Cancer

If the researchers see the same promising results in the new trial, the drug can be tested in larger studies as a possible combination treatment with surgery and chemotherapy, to improve cancer treatment for patients.

“The idea we are exploring is whether this drug could activate cells’ ability to fight cancer, potentially making surgery safer and more effective by shrinking tumors before they are removed,” says Dr. Smrz.

The use of HPV vaccines, along with cancer screenings, has helped to reduce the number of HPV-positive cancer cases in the United States. When caught early, these cancers are more treatable; in later stages, they become more challenging to treat and tend to return after treatment.

Dr. Smrz and Dr. Ferguson are hopeful that fenofibrate could help further improve outcomes for patients. “We’ve made a lot of progress against these cancers,” says Dr. Ferguson. “But we always need more tools to treat it, so we’re excited to be exploring this potential treatment.”

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The experts at the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center’s Gynecologic Oncology program provide expert care, including physical, emotional and spiritual support, for women with gynecologic cancer.