Letter in response to the Wedlake et al. paper ‘Evaluating the efficacy of statins and ACE-inhibitors in reducing gastrointestinal toxicity in patients receiving radiotherapy for pelvic malignancies’

To the Editor: We were very interested in Wedlake et al.’s recent article evaluating the efficacy of statins and ACE-inhibitors in reducing gastrointestinal toxicity in patients receiving radiotherapy for pelvic malignancies. This paper has enhanced existing literature in this area by taking an important next step and retrospectively collecting data on type, dose and duration of statin and ACE use. We have investigated a potential reduction in normal tissue toxicity following radiotherapy in patients who reported hypertension at entry to the CHHiP (Conventional or Hypofractionated High-dose Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer) trial [CRUK/ 06/016]. CHHiP is a multistage, multicentre randomised phase III trial which closed to recruitment in June 2011 with 3216 patients. A pre-planned safety analysis was carried out in stage 1 and 2 patients (n = 457) summarising 2 year toxicity by randomised radiotherapy dose group. We have carried out exploratory analyses of the relationship between hypertension (which was pro