The aim of this study was to determine whether or not statins influence biochemical recurrence (BCR) in Korean patients undergoing surgical treatment for prostate cancer. We reviewed data from 687 men who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy and who did not receive neoadjuvant treatment. Of these patients, 87 reported the use of preoperative statins at surgery. BCR-free survival was determined after exclusion of 78 patients with lymph node metastases and/or who received immediate adjuvant treatment. Patients on statin therapy were more likely to have a co-morbid disease (P < 0.05). Mean PSA (9.6 vs 13.6 ng ml(-1), P = 0.002) and PSA density (0.27 vs 0.38 ng ml(-1) ml(-1), P<0.001) were significantly lower in patients on statins. However, in the multivariable linear regression model, statin use was not associated with a decrease in PSA. Overall BCR for the entire cohort was not significantly different between the statin and nonstatin groups. On multivariate analysis, positive surgical margin and seminal vesicle invasion were independent risk factors for BCR-free survival, whereas other variables, including statin use, were not significant in predicting the risk of BCR. Patients with positive surgical margin and seminal vesicle invasion had a 2.1- (odds ratio, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.29-3.57; P = 0.003) and 2.2-fold risk (odds ratio, 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-3.89; P = 0.006) of BCR. Preoperative statin use is not associated with reduced BCR following radical prostatectomy.