After reviewing outcomes of almost 14,000 patients with colorectal cancer, researchers from UVA Cancer Center and the Universidade de São Paulo Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo determined that ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers and thiazide diuretics were all associated with decreased mortality. They also found that patients who took their blood-pressure drugs consistently were less likely to die from their cancer.
The researchers emphasize that more research is needed to validate the connection between blood-pressure drugs and better outcomes. But they say they are hopeful that the drugs could offer a new, low-cost way to improve care for patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer.
“Cost-effective solutions to prolong cancer survivorship in older patients may lie in commonly used medications,” says UVA School of Medicine Department of Public Health Sciences researcher Rajesh Balkrishnan, PhD. “However, we need further confirmation of these findings through clinical trials.”
Watch the video below to learn more about the research findings from Dr. Balkrishnan.
For more research news from UVA Health, visit Making of Medicine.