title: β-adrenergic-blocking drugs and melanoma: current state of the art.
abstract: The purpose of this review is to present the preclinical, epidemiological and clinical data relevant to the association between β-blockers and melanoma progression. Preclinical studies have shown that β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling can inhibit multiple cellular processes involved in melanoma progression and metastasis. These observations have suggested the possibility that drugs originally intended for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, the β-AR blockers, may provide new therapeutic opportunities for the control of tumor progression. A large number of observational studies demonstrated the protective effect of β-blockers in breast cancer but, more recently, similar findings were also reported in other cancers such as prostate cancer and melanoma. With regard to melanoma, two recently published studies demonstrated a great reduction in the risk of disease progression for each year of treatment with β-blockers. The results from these studies have suggested a potential role for targeting the β-AR pathway in melanoma patients. Questions regarding the type of β-blocker or tumor characteristics, appropriate treatment paradigms and, most importantly, efficacy must be answered in randomized clinical studies before β-blockers can be considered a therapeutic option for patients with melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Giorgi
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grazzini
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gandini
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benemei
authors.forename: Curtis D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Asbury
authors.forename: Niccolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marchionni
authors.forename: Pierangelo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geppetti
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta