Anthracycline-associated cardiotoxicity in adults: systematic review on the cardioprotective role of beta-blockers.

Objectives: This study aimed at assessing the role of beta-blockers on preventing anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in adults.

Methods: A systematic review was performed on electronic databases, including relevant studies that analysed beta-blockers as cardioprotective agents before the use of anthracyclines by adult oncologic patients.

Results: After application of eligibility and selection criteria, eight articles were considered as high quality, complying with the proposed theme; all eight clinical trials, four of them placebo-controlled, with a total number of 655 patients included.