Testing
Does Lp(a) protect against or promote cancer? Experimental and clinical evidence remain contradictory, review finds, with implications for anti-Lp(a) drugs (Semin Cancer Biol 2025)
Original title: The complex interplay of lipoprotein(a) and cancer in the era of emerging therapeutics
This review surveys the unresolved question of whether Lp(a) has a pathogenic or protective relationship with cancer, a possibility that has drawn increasing attention as Lp(a)'s biological reach beyond atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease has become clearer. Experimental studies mainly point toward a protective effect of Lp(a) against cancer, while clinical study results are highly contradictory, leaving the field without a settled answer. The authors argue that confirming any link, in either direction, would carry major translational implications: growing availability of routine Lp(a) assays could add a tool for cancer diagnosis and prognostic stratification, and if a pro-cancerogenic effect were confirmed, the rapidly advancing pipeline of anti-Lp(a) therapeutics could have unanticipated effects on cancer's natural history and treatment. A synthesis identifying an open question rather than resolving it.
Original abstract
In the last decades, the biological properties of Lp(a) have attracted increasing attention for their possible involvement in a wide range of clinical conditions other than atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. To date, whether a pathogenic interplay may exist between Lp(a) and cancer remains unclear. Indeed, experimental studies mainly show a protective effect of Lp(a) toward cancer, while results of clinical studies are highly contradictory. Nonetheless, the confirmation of any link between Lp(a) metabolism and cancer may be highly impactful for its translational implications in the current era of a renewed scientific interest in this lipoprotein. Indeed, the increasing availability of laboratory assays for the routine assessment of plasma Lp(a) levels could be proposed as an additional tool for cancer diagnosis and prognostic stratification. In addition, the tumultuous development of anti-Lp(a) therapeutics, if a pro-cancerogenic Lp(a) activity will be confirmed, could have an impact on the natural history of cancer and on its pharmacological management. This review resumes current knowledge on the relationship between Lp(a) and cancer as well as on its possible impact on the oncological field.
Summary written by lp-a.org from the published abstract; figures as published. Page updated 17 August 2026. Methods.