A class of generic heart drugs has shown promise in combating ovarian cancer.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) treated with heard medicines known as beta-blockers lived longer.

The findings, published in the journal Cancer, indicate the drugs block the effects of stress, which can fuel tumor growth and spread. The research suggests the drugs may also benefit patients with other cancer types.

For the study, researchers examined the medical records of 1,425 women with ovarian cancer treated between 2000 and 2010. Those given beta-blockers along with chemotherapy survived up to three times longer than those who didn’t receive the drugs.

"Beta-blockers treat a variety of conditions, such as heart disease, high-blood pressure, glaucoma and migraines. They target a receptor protein in heart muscle that causes the heart to beat harder and faster when activated by stress hormones," said Anil Sood, M.D., a cancer specialist at MD Anderson who led the study. "Our research has shown that the same stress mechanisms impact ovarian cancer progression, so these drugs could play a new role in cancer treatment."

This study adds to past research showing that stress hormones fuel the progression of ovarian and other cancers, and that beta-blockers can stifle that effect.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most deadly cancer among women, accounting for more deaths than any other female reproductive system cancer. An estimated 21,290 new U.S. cases are diagnosed, and some 14,180 women die from the disease each year, according to the American Cancer Society.