JAMA Netw Open

Statins may help preserve cognition during doxorubicin therapy

October 27, 2025

Study details: This preplanned secondary analysis of the PREVENT randomized trial (NCT01988571) included 238 adults (mean age, 49 years; 91% female) with breast cancer or lymphoma across 31 U.S. sites. Participants were randomized to receive daily atorvastatin 40 mg or placebo starting before doxorubicin chemotherapy and continuing for 24 months. Cognitive outcomes—attention, executive function, and verbal fluency—were assessed at baseline, 6, and 24 months using validated neurocognitive tests (Trail Making Test part A [TMT-A] and part B [TMT-B], Controlled Oral Word Association).

Results: Statin recipients didn't experience cognitive decline compared with placebo. Both groups showed similar scores for attention and verbal fluency at 6 and 24 months. From before treatment to 24 months after treatment, statin recipients had a significant mean improvement of 10.2 seconds for TMT-B compared with placebo recipients who had a nonsignificant improvement of only 0.2 seconds. However, between-group differences weren't statistically significant.

Clinical impact: Statin administration during doxorubicin therapy wasn't associated with cognitive deterioration over 24 months. These findings support the cognitive safety of statins in patients undergoing anthracycline-based chemotherapy for breast cancer or lymphoma, and suggest possible executive function benefits within the statin group.

Source:

Grizzard PJ, et al. (2025, October 1). JAMA Netw Open. Preserved Cognitive Function After Statin Administration During Cancer Treatment With Doxorubicin: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41118164/