title: β-Blockers and survival among Danish patients with malignant melanoma: a population-based cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To study whether use of β-blockers increases survival in patients with malignant melanoma because experimental data suggest that catecholamine hormones may be involved in stimulating the aggressiveness of malignant melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 4,179 patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma in Denmark with a median follow-up of 4.9 years and identified in the Danish Cancer Registry participated. Data on β-blocker use, comorbidity, and survival were obtained from medical and administrative databases. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate HRs for all-cause mortality with 95% CIs with adjustment for prognostic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 372 (8.9%) patients with malignant melanoma were treated with β-blockers within 90 days of melanoma diagnosis. The median β-blocker duration for exposure within 90 days of melanoma diagnosis, more than 90 days, and no prior exposure was 7.6, 1.4, and 0 years, respectively. The patients receiving β-blockers were older, had more comorbidities, and more cardiovascular and psychotropic drug user than the patients receiving no β-blockers prior to melanoma diagnosis. After adjustment for age and comorbidity index, the HR for melanoma death was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.64-1.20) and for all-cause mortality was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.67-0.97).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased survival time of patients with melanoma receiving β-blockers suggests that this class of drugs may hold promise in treatment strategy for these patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The observations described here suggest that catecholamines may retard melanoma progression and that β-blockers may have unrecognized potential as a therapeutic intervention for melanoma.
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lemeshow
authors.forename: Henrik Toft
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: Eric V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Sussie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antonsen
authors.forename: Anders H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Riis
authors.forename: Gregory B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Lesinski
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Glaser
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists