Postdiagnostic use of β-blockers and other antihypertensive drugs and the risk of recurrence and mortality in head and neck cancer patients: an observational study of 10,414 person–years of follow-up

Introduction Growing evidence indicates that norepinephrine promotes cancer growth and metastasis whereas β-blockers decrease these risks. This study aimed to examine the clinical impact of β-blockers and other hypertensive drugs on disease recurrence and survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Materials and methods This study analyzed a cohort of 1274 consecutive patients who received definitive treatments for previously untreated HNSCC at our tertiary referral center between January 2001 and December 2012. Antihypertensive use was considered positive if patients were on medication from HNSCC diagnosis to at least 1 year after treatment initiation. Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to determine associations between antihypertensive drugs and recurrence, survival, and second primary cancer (SPC) occurrence. Results Hypertension itself was not a significant variable of recurrence and survival and no antihypertensive drug use affected SPC occurrence (all P > 0.1). After controlling for clinical factors, calcium-channel blocker use remained an independent variable for index cancer recurrence, and β-blocker use was significantly associated with poor cancer-specific mortality, competing mortality, and all-cause mortality (all P