O'Logbon Jessica, Tarantola Ludovica, Williams Norman R, Mehta Shreeya, Ahmed Aamir, Davies Elizabeth A
Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Trust, St Thomas' Hospital, Westminster Bridge Rd, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
GKT School of Medical Education, Guy's Campus, Great Maze Pond London, London, SE1 1UL, UK.
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2025 Jul 12;151(7):212. doi: 10.1007/s00432-025-06262-2.
Beta-blockers, originally developed for cardiovascular conditions, have been explored for their potential role in cancer treatment. Propranolol, a non-selective beta-blocker, has shown promise in inhibiting stress-induced signalling pathways associated with cancer progression. This systematic review aims to assess the evidence for the repurposing of propranolol as a treatment for various cancers, particularly breast cancer to answer the research question: Does propranolol improve cancer outcomes, including survival and recurrence?
We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, including studies up to July 2024. Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, and meta-analyses were included if they assessed the effects of propranolol on cancer outcomes such as mortality, survival, recurrence, or biomarkers of tumour regression. A narrative synthesis was performed to summarise the findings.
Thirty-one studies were included, consisting of 7 RCTs, 4 systematic reviews and 20 meta-analyses. The evidence suggests that propranolol may improve cancer outcomes, especially when administered perioperatively, by reducing recurrence risk. However, the results remain inconclusive regarding its use in combination with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as studies showed mixed results. The timing of propranolol administration, alongside its combination with other cancer therapies, appears to be a key factor in its effectiveness.
Propranolol has potential as an adjunctive therapy in cancer treatment, particularly in reducing recurrence risk during the perioperative period. However, further clinical trials are needed to better define its role in cancer therapy, particularly regarding optimal treatment regimens and patient populations.
β受体阻滞剂最初是为心血管疾病开发的，目前已对其在癌症治疗中的潜在作用进行了探索。普萘洛尔是一种非选择性β受体阻滞剂，已显示出在抑制与癌症进展相关的应激诱导信号通路方面的前景。本系统评价旨在评估将普萘洛尔重新用于治疗各种癌症，特别是乳腺癌的证据，以回答研究问题：普萘洛尔是否能改善癌症预后，包括生存率和复发率？
我们对MEDLINE、EMBASE、全球卫生、科学网和考科蓝图书馆进行了系统检索，检索截至2024年7月的研究。如果随机对照试验（RCT）、系统评价和荟萃分析评估了普萘洛尔对癌症预后（如死亡率、生存率、复发率或肿瘤消退生物标志物）的影响，则纳入研究。进行了叙述性综合分析以总结研究结果。
纳入了31项研究，包括7项RCT、4项系统评价和20项荟萃分析。证据表明，普萘洛尔可能通过降低复发风险来改善癌症预后，尤其是在围手术期使用时。然而，关于其与化疗或放疗联合使用的结果仍无定论，因为研究结果不一。普萘洛尔给药的时机及其与其他癌症治疗方法的联合使用似乎是其有效性的关键因素。
普萘洛尔有潜力作为癌症治疗的辅助疗法，特别是在降低围手术期复发风险方面。然而，需要进一步的临床试验来更好地确定其在癌症治疗中的作用，特别是关于最佳治疗方案和患者群体。
