Propranolol for Off-label Treatment of Patients With Melanoma

Abstract

In the absence of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, this study is the first off-label study of which we are aware of propranolol for melanoma treatment. These results confirm recent observation that β-blockers protect patients with thick cutaneous melanoma from disease recurrence. This study is in accordance with the present policy of "drug repurposing" in oncology. Repurposing the vast arsenal of approved drugs with a nononcology primary purpose may prove an attractive and inexpensive strategy for offering more effective treatment options to patients with cancer.