Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32436935›Full record

SynthesisBioscience reports2020

β-Blocker use is not associated with improved clinical outcomes in women with breast cancer: a meta-analysis.

Chaoran Li, Tian Li, Runwei Tang, Shuai Yuan, Weihong Zhang

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Bioscience reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% 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

12 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Beta-blocker use and breast cancer outcomes: a meta-analysis.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2024
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Key role of the autonomic nervous system in breast cancer (Review).Experimental and therapeutic medicine · 2026
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Observational
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Breast Cancer and Anaesthesia: Genetic Influence.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021
    Review
  11. Review
  12. Observational
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

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Chaoran LiDepartment of Breast Surgery, Baoshan Branch, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201900, China.
Tian LiDepartment of Breast Surgery, Baoshan Branch, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201900, China.
Runwei TangDepartment of Breast Surgery, Baoshan Branch, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201900, China.
Shuai YuanDepartment of Breast Surgery, Baoshan Branch, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201900, China.
Weihong ZhangDepartment of Breast Surgery, Baoshan Branch, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201900, China.
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEvidence remains inconsistent regarding the potential influence of β-blocker (BB) use on clinical outcomes in women with breast cancer. We aimed to evaluate the association between BB and prognosis of breast cancer in an updated meta-analysis.

methodsFollow-up studies comparing the clinical outcomes of breast cancer in women with and without use of BB were included by search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane's Library. A random-effect model was used to pool the results.

resultsSeventeen observational studies were included. Pooled results did not support a significant association between BB use and breast cancer recurrence (risk ratio [RR] = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68-1.07, P=0.17), breast cancer related deaths (RR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.65-1.06, P=0.14), or all-cause deaths (RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.91-1.11, P=0.91) in women with breast cancer. Study characteristics such as sample size, definition of BB use, follow-up durations, adjustment of menopausal status, or quality score did not significantly affect the results. Subgroup analyses showed that BB may be associated with a trend of reduced risk of all-cause deaths in women with breast cancer in prospective studies (two datasets, RR = 0.81, P=0.05), but not in retrospective studies (eight datasets, RR = 1.06, P=0.16; P for subgroup analyses = 0.02).

conclusionsCurrent evidence from observational studies does not support a significant association between BB use and improved prognosis in women with breast cancer.

Indexed as

Adrenergic beta-AntagonistsAgedBreast NeoplasmsFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalObservational Studies as TopicRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsTreatment OutcomeAdrenergic beta-AntagonistsBeta-blockerBreast cancerMeta-analysisMortalityRecurrence

Identifiers

PMID32436935
PMCPMC7303345
OpenAlexW3026044068

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.