title: Stage-specific associations between beta blocker use and prognosis after colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent observational studies have suggested that the use of beta blockers might be associated with better prognosis after cancer. Because evidence is limited for colorectal cancer (CRC), the association of beta blocker use and prognosis was investigated in a large population-based cohort of patients with CRC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2003 and 2007, information on beta blocker use at diagnosis and potential confounders was collected by personal interviews for 1975 patients with CRC. Vital status, cause of death, and recurrence status were assessed during a median follow-up time of 5.0 years. The associations of beta blocker use and overall, CRC-specific, and recurrence-free survival were estimated by Cox proportional hazard regression. In addition, beta blocker subgroup, site, and stage-specific analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for covariates including sociodemographic, cancer-related, and lifestyle factors and comorbidity and medications, no significant association between beta blocker use at diagnosis and prognosis was observed for all stages combined. However, in stage-specific analyses, beta blocker use was associated with longer overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.50; 95% confidence interval = 0.33-0.78) and CRC-specific survival (hazard ratio = 0.47; 95% confidence interval = 0.30-0.75) in stage IV patients. For these patients, median overall survival was 18 months longer and CRC-specific survival was 17 months longer for beta blocker users than for nonusers (38 versus 20 months and 37 versus 20 months, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that beta blocker use might be associated with longer survival in patients with stage IV CRC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoffmeister
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang-Claude
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists
keywords: antihypertensive agents; beta blocker; colorectal cancer; prognosis; recurrence; survival