Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27906047›Full record

SynthesisBreast cancer research : BCR2016

Propranolol and survival from breast cancer: a pooled analysis of European breast cancer cohorts.

Chris R Cardwell, Anton Pottegård, Evelien Vaes, Hans Garmo, Liam J Murray, Chris Brown, Pauline A J Vissers, Michael O'Rorke, Kala Visvanathan, Deirdre Cronin-Fenton and 8 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Breast cancer research : BCR, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
35citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

35 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 50 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Beta-blocker use and breast cancer outcomes: a meta-analysis.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2024
    Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
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  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Key role of the autonomic nervous system in breast cancer (Review).Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2026
    Review
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  12. Article
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  16. Review
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  19. Review
  20. Sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation in cancer: therapeutic implications.Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 14 institutions in 6 countries.

Chris R CardwellInstitute of Clinical Sciences Block B, Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, BT12 6BA, UK. c.cardwell@qub.ac.uk.
Anton PottegårdDepartment of Public Health, University of South Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Evelien VaesResearch Department, Belgian Cancer Registry, Brussels, Belgium.
Hans GarmoDivision of Cancer Studies, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, King's College London, London, UK.
Liam J MurrayInstitute of Clinical Sciences Block B, Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, BT12 6BA, UK.
Chris BrownNational Cancer Registry Ireland, Cork, Ireland.
Pauline A J VissersNetherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Michael O'RorkeInstitute of Clinical Sciences Block B, Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, BT12 6BA, UK.
Kala VisvanathanJohns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Deirdre Cronin-FentonDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Harlinde De SchutterResearch Department, Belgian Cancer Registry, Brussels, Belgium.
Mats LambeRegional Cancer Centre Uppsala-Örebro, Uppsala, Sweden.
Des G PoweDepartment of Cellular Pathology, Queens Medical Centre, NUH, Nottingham, UK.
Myrthe P P van Herk-SukelPHARMO Institute for Drug Outcomes Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Anna GavinInstitute of Clinical Sciences Block B, Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, BT12 6BA, UK.
Søren FriisDanish Cancer Society Research Center, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Linda SharpInstitute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Kathleen BennettDepartment of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Queen's University Belfast · GBRoyal Victoria Hospital · GBAarhus University · DKDanish Cancer Society · DKJohns Hopkins University · USKarolinska Institutet · SENational Cancer Registry · IENetherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation · NLNewcastle University · GBPharmo Institute · NLQueen's Medical Centre · GBRegional Research Council in Uppsala-Örebro Region · SETrinity College Dublin · IEUniversity of Southern Denmark · DK

Funding

Cancer Research UK 16601Cancer Research UK C19630/A13265
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPreclinical studies have demonstrated that propranolol inhibits several pathways involved in breast cancer progression and metastasis. We investigated whether breast cancer patients who used propranolol, or other non-selective beta-blockers, had reduced breast cancer-specific or all-cause mortality in eight European cohorts.

methodsIncident breast cancer patients were identified from eight cancer registries and compiled through the European Cancer Pharmacoepidemiology Network. Propranolol and non-selective beta-blocker use was ascertained for each patient. Breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality were available for five and eight cohorts, respectively. Cox regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer-specific and all-cause mortality by propranolol and non-selective beta-blocker use. HRs were pooled across cohorts using meta-analysis techniques. Dose-response analyses by number of prescriptions were also performed. Analyses were repeated investigating propranolol use before cancer diagnosis.

resultsThe combined study population included 55,252 and 133,251 breast cancer patients in the analysis of breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality respectively. Overall, there was no association between propranolol use after diagnosis of breast cancer and breast cancer-specific or all-cause mortality (fully adjusted HR = 0.94, 95% CI, 0.77, 1.16 and HR = 1.09, 95% CI, 0.93, 1.28, respectively). There was little evidence of a dose-response relationship. There was also no association between propranolol use before breast cancer diagnosis and breast cancer-specific or all-cause mortality (fully adjusted HR = 1.03, 95% CI, 0.86, 1.22 and HR = 1.02, 95% CI, 0.94, 1.10, respectively). Similar null associations were observed for non-selective beta-blockers.

conclusionsIn this large pooled analysis of breast cancer patients, use of propranolol or non-selective beta-blockers was not associated with improved survival.

Indexed as

Adrenergic beta-AntagonistsAngiogenesis InhibitorsBreast NeoplasmsCohort StudiesEuropeFemaleHumansProportional Hazards ModelsPropranololTreatment OutcomeAdrenergic beta-AntagonistsAngiogenesis InhibitorsPropranololBeta-blockerBreast cancerCohortMortality

Identifiers

PMID27906047
PMCPMC5133766
OpenAlexW2558152496

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.