Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41610103›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

A randomised pilot trial of perioperative propranolol combined with celecoxib versus standard of care in stage III melanoma: The ProCel study protocol.

Katina J Selvaraj, Diona L Damian, J Guy Lyons, James S Wilmott, Peter M Ferguson, Michele McGrady, Iris Bartula, Serigne N Lo, Richard A Scolyer, Angela L Ferguson and 1 more

Abstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

11 authors.

Katina J SelvarajFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8498-9955
Diona L DamianFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
J Guy LyonsFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
James S WilmottFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Peter M FergusonFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Michele McGradyFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7530-2789
Iris BartulaFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Serigne N LoFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Richard A ScolyerFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8991-0013
Angela L FergusonFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5974-0423
Robyn P M SawFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3354-806X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In cutaneous melanoma patients, the presence of lymph node or in transit metastasis can be associated with poor survival. Adjuvant treatment with BRAF-MEK inhibitors or immunotherapy is costly and can cause side effects, so there remains a need for safe and inexpensive adjuvant treatments. Beta-blockers can control the pro-inflammatory stress response associated with surgery, and their use may attenuate the risk of melanoma progression. COX-2 may promote melanoma progression by increasing prostaglandin production, so COX-2 inhibition may be beneficial. This randomised controlled trial will be conducted at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Melanoma Institute Australia, and will include forty participants aged 18-85 years with nodal and/or in transit metastatic melanoma. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive propranolol combined with celecoxib perioperatively, or surgical management only. The primary objective is to determine the effect of propranolol combined with celecoxib on intra-tumoral immune cell populations and tumour proliferative markers, assessed using imaging mass cytometry. The secondary objectives are to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the combination, as well as its effects on: 1) serum inflammatory markers; 2) quality of life; and 3) recurrence/progression rates. The trial is registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12624001353583). Protocol version 1 was submitted to PLOS One in February 2025. The trial is supported by Sydney Cancer Partners with funding from Cancer Institute NSW (Grant ID 2021/CBG0002). The sponsors are Sydney Local Health District and Melanoma Institute Australia.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCelecoxibMelanomaPropranololSkin NeoplasmsAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAustraliaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPilot ProjectsCelecoxibPropranolol

Identifiers

PMID41610103
PMCPMC12854447

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.