Mohsin S, Hasan M, Mustafa F, Kumar J, Aleissa M, Bhullar JS, Kumar S. Impact of statin therapy on postoperative outcomes following colorectal cancer surgery: A systematic review. World J Gastrointest Surg 2025; 17(12): 112841 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i12.112841]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jasneet S Bhullar, Department of Surgery-Colon and Rectal Surgery, Ascension Providence Hospital, Michigan State University, 16001 West 9 Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075, United States. drjsbhullar@gmail.com
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Surgery
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Systematic Reviews
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Dec 27, 2025 (publication date) through Dec 25, 2025
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World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
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1948-9366
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Mohsin S, Hasan M, Mustafa F, Kumar J, Aleissa M, Bhullar JS, Kumar S. Impact of statin therapy on postoperative outcomes following colorectal cancer surgery: A systematic review. World J Gastrointest Surg 2025; 17(12): 112841 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i12.112841]
World J Gastrointest Surg. Dec 27, 2025; 17(12): 112841 Published online Dec 27, 2025. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i12.112841
Impact of statin therapy on postoperative outcomes following colorectal cancer surgery: A systematic review
Sana Mohsin, Misha Hasan, Fatima Mustafa, Jai Kumar, Maryam Aleissa, Jasneet S Bhullar, Sarwan Kumar
Sana Mohsin, Misha Hasan, Fatima Mustafa, College of Medicine, Ziauddin University, Karachi 75600, Sindh, Pakistan
Jai Kumar, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, United States
Maryam Aleissa, Jasneet S Bhullar, Department of Surgery-Colon and Rectal Surgery, Ascension Providence Hospital, Michigan State University, Southfield, MI 48075, United States
Sarwan Kumar, Department of Internal Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, United States
Author contributions: Mohsin S, Hasan M, and Mustafa F contributed to literature search; Mohsin S and Hasan M contributed to conception and administration of the project and manuscript, data curation, extraction, and substantial contribution to drafting of the manuscript; Mustafa F, Kumar J, Aleissa M, Bhullar JS, and Kumar S contributed to reviewing the manuscript; Mustafa F contributed to drafting the manuscript; Kumar J, Aleissa M, Bhullar JS, and Kumar S contributed to revising the manuscript. All authors critically revised the manuscript and provided their final approval.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jasneet S Bhullar, Department of Surgery-Colon and Rectal Surgery, Ascension Providence Hospital, Michigan State University, 16001 West 9 Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075, United States. drjsbhullar@gmail.com
Received: August 8, 2025 Revised: September 3, 2025 Accepted: October 30, 2025 Published online: December 27, 2025 Processing time: 139 Days and 9.2 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The pleiotropic effects of statins, including anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions, have prompted investigation into their perioperative role in colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. However, findings remain inconsistent due to heterogeneity in study designs, statin regimens, and outcome definitions. This reviews current observational evidence, emphasizing the duration of statin therapy and its association with postoperative outcomes.
AIM
To evaluate the association between statin therapy and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing CRC surgery.
METHODS
A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar through March 2025. Five cohort studies evaluating statin use in CRC surgery were included. Primary outcomes assessed included anastomotic leak, surgical site infection, and 30-day and 90-day mortality. Data on statin duration and confounders such as comorbidities and surgical variables were also extracted.
RESULTS
Three studies investigated the rates of anastomotic leaks in patients who used statins compared to those who did not. Two of the studies found no significant difference, while one noted a marginally higher leak rate among statin users. Diabetes, smoking habits, and operative time were found to be common confounding factors. Conversely, the use of statins was consistently linked to a decrease in 30-day mortality in propensity-matched groups, although findings regarding 90-day mortality were variable.
CONCLUSION
Statin therapy may confer short-term survival benefits in CRC surgical patients, potentially via anti-inflammatory or cytoprotective mechanisms. While evidence regarding anastomotic leaks remains inconclusive, trends suggest improved postoperative outcomes. These findings are constrained by methodological heterogeneity, underscoring the need for prospective, randomized studies to confirm benefits and identify optimal patient subgroups.
Core Tip: This review evaluates the impact of statin therapy on postoperative outcomes following colorectal cancer surgery. The study focuses on cohort studies to show how statin use, particularly its timing and duration, may affect the risk of anastomotic leaks, surgical site infection, and short-term mortality. Despite conflicting data, a consistent trend toward reduced 30-day mortality was observed. Overall, these findings suggest the potential role of statins in colorectal cancer surgery, however due to the heterogeneity in definitions of statin therapy and limitations of study design there is a need for prospective studies to confirm their role in improving postsurgical outcomes.
