The Impact of Beta Blockers on Survival in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Beta adrenergic signaling has been implicated in cancer progression, leading to interest in repurposing beta blockers (BBs) as adjunctive anti-cancer agents. However, clinical findings are inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the association between BB use and survival outcomes in cancer patients.

A systematic search of OVID Medline, EMBASE, and CENTRAL was conducted through 13 September 2023, for studies comparing survival outcomes in solid tumor patients using BBs versus non-users. Eligible studies reported hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), or cancer-specific survival (CSS). Perioperative studies and those without BB-specific HRs were excluded. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed in duplicate using ROBINS-I. A random-effects model was used, with heterogeneity assessed by the I² statistic.

Seventy-nine studies (492,381 patients) met the inclusion criteria; 2.5% were prospective. The most frequently studied cancers were breast (n = 33), ovarian (n = 30), and colorectal (n = 28). BB use was associated with improved PFS (HR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66-0.92, I² = 79.8%), with significance maintained after excluding high-bias studies (HR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.61-0.91, I² = 36.6%). No significant associations were observed for OS (HR 0.99, 95% CI: 0.94-1.04, I² = 84.9%) or CSS (HR 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91-1.00, I² = 77.4%).

BB use may be associated with longer PFS in cancer patients, but findings are limited by study design and heterogeneity; high-quality prospective studies are needed.