β-blockers are a class of drugs that are widely used in treating cardiac, respiratory and other ailments. They act by blocking β-adrenergic receptor-mediated signaling. Studies in various cancers have shown that patients taking a β-blocker have higher survival and lower recurrence and metastasis rates. This is supported by several preclinical and in vitro studies showing that adrenergic activation modulates apoptosis, promotes angiogenesis and other cancer hallmarks, and these effects can be abrogated by β-blockers. These studies provide a rationale for the use of β-blockers as adjuvants with cancer chemotherapy. However, all published studies so far are retrospective and most do not take into account the specific β-blocker used or address which is most likely to benefit cancer patients. The published epidemiological studies are correlative and have not examined the adrenergic receptor status of the tumors. Knowledge of the β-adrenergic receptor status of tumor cells is essential in choosing the best β-blocker for adjuvant therapy. A comprehensive, prospective study is necessary to definitively prove the utility of using β-blockers with chemotherapy and to identify the specific β-blocker most likely to benefit patients with cancer.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
3
7%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences
3
7%
Other
10
22%
Unknown
8
17%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 22 September 2023.
All research outputs
#16,640,755
of 24,482,039 outputs
Outputs from Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs
#1,708
of 2,066 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#126,393
of 202,383 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs
#16
of 19 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 24,482,039 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 21st percentile – i.e., 21% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,066 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.5. This one is in the 13th percentile – i.e., 13% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 202,383 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 27th percentile – i.e., 27% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 19 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 10th percentile – i.e., 10% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
