β-AR expression, β-blocker use and breast cancer survival
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Beta-adrenergic receptor expression and beta-blocker use: association with breast cancer survival and prognosis
IRAS ID
170094
Contact name
CHRIS CARDWELL
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
The use of beta-blockers (β-blockers), medications prescribed for cardiac arrhythmias and high blood pressure, may be associated with improved survival in breast cancer patients. β-blockers bind to beta-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs), physically obstructing cell signalling pathways that have been shown to encourage breast cancer growth and spread. The aim of the current study is to examine the prognostic significance of both tumour β-AR expression and post-diagnostic β-blocker use with breast cancer mortality.
This project is currently funded through a Cancer Research UK population research committee fellowship and will identify all breast cancer patients diagnosed in Northern Ireland between 1st January 2009 and the 31st December 2014. Using a nested case-control study design, patients who have died from their breast cancer over this period (cases) will be matched to breast cancer patients who are alive at the cases’ time of death (controls). No active recruitment of patients is required, electronic data sources in the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) will be used to extract relevant lifestyle, clinical and cancer treatment data. Detail on β-blocker drug use will be derived via secure linkage to the Northern Ireland Enhanced Prescribing Database (NIEPD).
Formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumour blocks will be retrieved from the archives of the pathology laboratories within each Health & Social Care Trust (HSCT) and used to construct multiple cores of breast tissue (tissue microarrays) for the characterisation of β-AR expression via immunohistochemistry techniques. Statistical analyses will then be undertaken to compare the risk of breast cancer death by 1) β-AR expression and 2) β-blocker use adjusting for various relevant factors.
This unique population-based study will provide insight into the use of β-blockers as a potential therapy in breast cancer patients and also outline the relevance of β-AR expression on prognosis and survival.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
15/NI/0089
Date of REC Opinion
29 May 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion