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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, especially long-term use, appears to raise the risk of prostate cancer among obese men, according to findings of a new study.

"Given the epidemic of obesity in the U.S. and the frequent use of statins, the positive association we observed raises substantial concern as to the safety of these widely prescribed agents," Dr. Janet L. Stanford of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and colleagues wrote in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

In a population-based, case-control study, the researchers matched 1,001 men with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2002 and 2005 with 942 age-matched cancer-free controls from King County, Washington.

No overall association was observed between the risk of prostate cancer and the current or past use of statin treatment. Duration of statin use was also not associated with prostate cancer risk.

"We also found no evidence that use of a statin was associated with risk of developing more aggressive subtypes of prostate caner," Stanford said in an interview with Reuters Health. "Overall we found no support for the current hypothesis that statin use may reduce risk of prostate cancer."

However, the results do suggest a significant increase in the risk of developing prostate cancer associated with current statin use and with longer durations of use among obese men (defined as a body mass index of 30 greater).

"Among obese men," Stanford told Reuters Health, "current use of a statin was associated with a 50 percent increase in risk of prostate cancer; and use for 5 or more years was associated with an 80 percent increase in risk of the disease; both of these risk estimates were statistically significant."

These findings warrant further investigation, she said.

 

LOS ANGELES - What would it sound like if 15 of the hottest female singers joined voices? The answer will be revealed Sept. 2.

That’s when "Just Stand Up" hits airwaves and iTunes. The song features Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood. All sales of the star-studded single will benefit cancer research.

The charity tune was conceived by Antonio "L.A." Reid, who produced it with longtime creative colleague Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds.

All 15 singers will share the stage to perform the song live on Sept. 5 during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special, set to air simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS. Other stars expected to turn out for the hourlong fund- and awareness-raising program include Jennifer Aniston, Lance Armstrong, Katie Couric, Sally Field, Salma Hayek, Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker and Reese Witherspoon.

Founded in 2007, Stand Up to Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation that calls on entertainment-industry people and platforms to help fight cancer.

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NEW YORK - Britney Spears tells OK! magazine she’s focused on family life these days, looking forward to her two sons meeting their new cousin, daughter of her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears.

"She’s going to come out here for the kids’ birthdays," Spears, who lives in Beverly Hills, Calif., says of Jamie Lynn in the Aug. 25 issue of OK! "It will be the first time the cousins meet. I’m sure the boys will be like big brothers to Maddie," who was born June 19.

Spears, 26, flaunts her maternal side in photos with sons Sean Preston and Jayden James on the cover and inside pages of the magazine. There are shots of the family in Spears’ pool, including one showing the pop star enjoying a swim with her once-estranged mother, Lynne.

After several years of custody battles, estrangements and high-profile meltdowns, Spears reports life with all family members is calm and pleasant.

Her relationship with her mother, soon due out with a book about the family’s life, is "really, really good. I went through a stage when I was in high school when it wasn’t so good, but now I’m at a stage where I really appreciate her a lot more."

She says she’s also getting along with her father, James, who’s been in control of her personal and professional matters as her legal conservator.

As for being an aunt, it did take a little getting used to, says Spears, who was a little "shocked" while visiting her 17-year-old sister and actress Jamie Lynn in the hospital for the birth of her newborn daughter.

"That was special, but it was also strange because she’s always been the baby, and now the baby was having a baby," Spears says. "It was mind-boggling. I was shocked a little bit. "

Spears appears to have cleaned up her act in recent days. Last month, she settled a long-running custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline, which allows her additional visits with her children.

She also appears fit and confident in promotional ads for the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards — the opposite of her widely panned appearance at last year’s ceremony. MTV has said they are in talks to have the singer appear at this year’s Sept. 7 ceremony.

 

LOS ANGELES - Christina Applegate is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but the disease was caught early and the actress is expected to fully recover, her publicist said.

The Emmy winner’s cancer was detected through an MRI ordered by a doctor and is not life-threatening, publicist Ame Van Iden said in a statement Saturday.

Applegate is scheduled to appear on a one-hour television special, "Stand Up To Cancer," to be aired on ABC, CBS and NBC on Sept. 5 to raise funds for cancer research.

The 36-year-old actress has been nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the show "Samantha Who?", in which she plays a woman who wakes from a coma with no memory of who she is.

The show, which debuted last October, marked a return to series television for Applegate, who helped establish the Fox network in 1987 as ditzy teenager Kelly Bundy on "Married … With Children." The raunchy comedy ran 11 seasons and has been airing in syndication since.

"I’m really grateful that acting is the job that was chosen for me," Applegate told The Associated Press in April. "I get really lost when I’m not working. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with myself. Thank God for dance class and the New York Times crossword puzzle and ‘American Idol.’ But acting is what I really have to do."

Applegate won an Emmy as outstanding guest actress in a comedy series in 2003 for her role as one of Jennifer Aniston’s younger sisters in "Friends." She was nominated for a Tony in 2005 for the Broadway musical "Sweet Charity."

Applegate began acting in films and television as a child and has appeared in such shows as "Quincy," "Family Ties," "21 Jump Street," "Charles in Charge" and Steven Spielberg’s "Amazing Stories."

Soon after "Married … With Children," she starred in "Jesse," playing a single mother raising a young son. The show lasted two seasons.

Her films include "Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead," "Wild Bill, "Wonderland" and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy."