Fox Chase Cancer Center, 333 Cottman Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19111.
Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2012 Aug;5(8):989-91. doi: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-12-0247.
β-Adrenergic signaling is involved in many processes that may contribute to cancer progression. In this issue of the journal (beginning on page 1007), Nkontchou and colleagues report their retrospective observational finding that the β-blocker propranolol was associated with a highly statistically significant reduction in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with advanced cirrhosis and related esophageal varices. This surprising finding requires confirmation, but the result is biologically plausible. Epidemiologic studies have linked β-blockers with reduced rates of metastasis of other cancers and reduced cancer mortality. Laboratory studies suggest biologic mechanisms for anticancer effects of β-blockers.
β-肾上腺素能信号参与许多可能促进癌症进展的过程。在本期杂志（从第 1007 页开始）中，Nkontchou 及其同事报告了他们的回顾性观察结果，即β受体阻滞剂普萘洛尔与晚期肝硬化和相关食管静脉曲张患者肝癌发病率的高度统计学显著降低相关。这一令人惊讶的发现需要进一步证实，但结果在生物学上是合理的。流行病学研究将β受体阻滞剂与其他癌症转移率降低和癌症死亡率降低联系起来。实验室研究表明β受体阻滞剂具有抗癌作用的生物学机制。
