A cheap and widely used blood pressure drug may hold the key to slowing down one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer, according to new research from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
The study found that beta blockers—medications usually prescribed for high blood pressure, heart problems, and anxiety—could significantly reduce the growth and spread of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
This type of cancer is particularly dangerous because it does not respond to common hormone-based treatments and has limited treatment options.
Researchers discovered that beta blockers can switch off a gene called HOXC12, which plays a major role in helping cancer cells grow and spread. This gene is usually triggered by stress hormones like cortisol, which activate the beta-2 adrenoceptor in the body.
Professor Michelle Halls, senior author of the study, explained:
“We’ve found that beta blockers can turn off the HOXC12 gene. This gene is activated by stress hormones, which drive cancer growth.
By blocking this pathway, beta blockers may help slow the progression of triple-negative breast cancer.”
This new insight helps explain earlier findings from 2023, which suggested that patients taking beta blockers had a lower risk of dying from breast cancer, although the reason was not fully understood at the time.
The researchers believe this breakthrough could lead to personalized treatments for patients. By checking the levels of HOXC12 in patients at the time of diagnosis, doctors may be able to identify who would benefit the most from beta blocker therapy.
Terrance Lam, a pharmaceutical researcher and co-author of the study, said:
“Triple-negative breast cancer is very aggressive and hard to treat. If we can identify patients with high HOXC12 levels, beta blockers could become a life-saving treatment option.”
TNBC accounts for about 15% of all breast cancer cases in countries like the UK and US. While most women with breast cancer have an 85% chance of surviving five years, this drops significantly for TNBC patients—especially in advanced stages, where survival rates can fall to just 12%.
Current treatments for TNBC are limited, and many patients face poor outcomes. This discovery could offer a low-cost, widely available treatment option, as beta blockers are already used safely by millions worldwide for other conditions.
The findings were published in the journal Science Signaling, but researchers stress that more clinical studies are urgently needed before beta blockers can officially be used as a standard treatment for TNBC.
Professor Halls said:
“We’re excited about the possibilities. Beta blockers could become an affordable and accessible way to improve survival rates—but more research is needed.”
