The use of non-selective beta-blockers is linked to improved survival among epithelial ovarian cancer, a new study finds.
The study, which appears in the journal Cancer, was conducted by researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
It involved more than 1,400 women who have ovarian cancer and received treatment from 2000 to 2010.
Out of the 269 women who were given beta-blockers, 193 received selective beta-blockers, while 76 received non-selective beta-blockers, as reported in Medscape.
The study revealed that the median survival for patients treated with beta-blockers was 47.8 months, while those who did not take any beta-blockers had a median survival of 42 months.
Furthermore, overall median survival was observed to be longer in patients who took the drugs compared to those who did not. However, greater benefit was seen in those who received the non-selective beta-blocking agents than those who took selective beta-blockers.
According to study senior researcher Anil K. Sood, M.D., who told Medscape Medical News, the team discovered that both beta-2 and beta-3 adrenergic receptors have been found in various ovarian cancer cells and these contribute to the cells' survival.
"They also trigger signals inside the cancer cells that are relevant for growth. These observations led us to ask whether the drugs that block those kinds of receptors could be important for cutting off the growth-stimulating effects of stress hormones," Sood added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Christina Annunziata of the National Institutes of Health said that just because of the recent findings, people should not immediately turn to beta-blockers, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Annunziata, who wasn't involved in the study, cautioned that the drugs have several side effects especially if taken by those who don't have problems with their blood pressure.
More research is needed to establish if the new findings can become a basis for new treatment for ovarian cancer.
Further research, which is under way, is necessary to determine whether the findings could be translated into a new treatment for the disease.
