CELLULAR EFFECTS OF HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA IN MODULATION OF CANCER GROWTH AND METASTASIS - A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE

Hypercholesterolemia and increased cancer risk have been associated, p articularly with the high fat diets characteristic of Western societie s, We were interested in the possible association between prexisting h ypercholesterolemia and the rapidity and extent of tumor metastases in these patients. To date there has been only a few studies that have s uggested and explored this determinant of cancer metastases although i t may play a role in a subset of patients who develop cancers, This ar ticle will review the literature on the effects of LDL-cholesterol on cell proliferation and differentiation and speculate on mechanisms of involvement of a hypercholesterolemic milieu on cancer progression and enhancement of metastatic potential. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.