Off-Label Propranolol Reduces Melanoma Recurrence

Source: Cancer Network, October 2017

The off-label use of the beta-blocker propranolol significantly reduced disease recurrence among patients with non-metastatic melanoma, according to the results of a prospective, non-randomized study published as a brief report in JAMA Oncology.
“This study is the first we know of to evaluate the administration of a beta-blocker to patients as adjuvant therapy at the time of diagnosis of melanoma,” wrote Vincenzo De Giorgi, MD, of the University of Florence, Italy, and colleagues. “These results provide the basis for larger trials of longer duration to measure the clinical efficacy of propranolol.”
The prospective study included patients with histologically confirmed stage IB to IIIA cutaneous melanoma without metastasis. Patients were asked to take propranolol 80 mg daily. Those who accepted were part of the propranolol arm (PROP; n = 19); those who agreed to participate in the study but not to take propranolol were part of the non-propranolol arm (No-PROP; n = 34).