Statins are a class of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors), which are widely used to reduce blood lipid in clinic, and are especially important for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, many studies at home and abroad believe that statins have a unique role in tumor prevention and treatment, and have been widely concerned. In terms of epigenetic regulation mechanism, statins mainly affect the progress of tumor through DNA methylation, histone modification and miRNA regulation. In addition, statins can also achieve their anti-tumor effects by promoting tumor cell autophagy, regulating tumor cell cycle, and promoting tumor cell apoptosis and other signaling pathways. Therefore, the research on statins provides ideas for the discovery of new anti-tumor treatments. In this paper, the role of statins in the prevention and treatment of common tumors is reviewed, including its mechanism of inhibiting the occurrence and development of tumors through epigenetic regulation and other related mechanisms, as well as its clinical research status.