Abstract
Propofol is a hypnotic alkylphenol derivative with many biological activities. It is predominantly used in anesthesia and is the most used parenteral anesthetic agent in the United States. Accumulating preclinical studies have shown that this compound may inhibit cancer recurrence and metastasis. Nevertheless, other investigations provided evidence that this compound may promote breast cancer cell progression by modulating different molecular pathways. Clinical data on this topic are scarce and derive from retrospective analyses. For this reason, we reviewed and evaluated the available data to reveal insight into this controversial issue. More preclinical and clinical investigations are necessary to determine the potential role of propofol in the proliferation of breast cancer cells.
- Received May 5, 2021.
- Revision received May 31, 2021.
- Accepted June 3, 2021.
- Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved