Lou HC, Liu XH, Jin P, Wang JM, Liu B. Interaction between calcium channel blockers and capecitabine in colorectal cancer patients with hypertension. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(8): 118698 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.118698]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Bin Liu, Associate Chief Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 116 Zhuodaoquan South Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China. liubinyl2024@163.com
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Lou HC, Liu XH, Jin P, Wang JM, Liu B. Interaction between calcium channel blockers and capecitabine in colorectal cancer patients with hypertension. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2026; 18(8): 118698 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.118698]
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Aug 15, 2026; 18(8): 118698 Published online Aug 15, 2026. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.118698
Interaction between calcium channel blockers and capecitabine in colorectal cancer patients with hypertension
Hua-Cheng Lou, Xiao-Hua Liu, Ping Jin, Jian-Min Wang, Bin Liu
Hua-Cheng Lou, Department of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Tianshui Wulin Srteet Community Health Service Centers, Hangzhou 310005, Zhejiang Province, China
Xiao-Hua Liu, Department of Cardiology, Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China
Ping Jin, Department of Public Health Management, Hangzhou Tianshui Wulin Srteet Community Health Service Centers, Hangzhou 310005, Zhejiang Province, China
Jian-Min Wang, Department of Health Care, Hangzhou Tianshui Wulin Srteet Community Health Service Centers, Hangzhou 310005, Zhejiang Province, China
Bin Liu, Department of Pharmacy, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: Lou HC, Liu XH, Jin P and Wang JM contributed to research design, data collection, data analysis, and paper writing; Liu B was responsible for research design, funding application, data analysis, reviewing and editing, communication coordination, ethical review, copyright and licensing, and follow-up; all of the authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript to be published.
AI contribution statement: We didn’t use AI to write this manuscript. The high AI score likely comes from using translation software (DeepL) to improve the English. That can accidentally make the text read like AI. All text is human-written.
Institutional review board statement: The research was reviewed and approved by Hubei Cancer Hospital, No. LLHBCH2025YN-104.
Informed consent statement: All participants provided informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest in publishing the manuscript.
Data sharing statement: No other data available.
Corresponding author: Bin Liu, Associate Chief Pharmacist, Department of Pharmacy, Hubei Cancer Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 116 Zhuodaoquan South Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan 430079, Hubei Province, China. liubinyl2024@163.com
Received: March 6, 2026 Revised: May 13, 2026 Accepted: June 12, 2026 Published online: August 15, 2026 Processing time: 149 Days and 7.3 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy being crucial for stage III patients. Hypertension is a prevalent comorbidity, yet the interaction between antihypertensive agents and chemotherapeutics remains unclear. While calcium channel blockers like amlodipine may modulate tumor metabolism and enzyme expression, the renin-angiotensin system inhibitors like valsartan may influence angiogenesis. However, direct clinical comparisons regarding their impact on capecitabine efficacy are lacking. We hypothesized that amlodipine, compared to valsartan, would demonstrate superior efficacy in reducing tumor markers when combined with capecitabine in hypertensive CRC patients.
AIM
To compare amlodipine vs valsartan combined with capecitabine in hypertensive stage III CRC patients.
METHODS
This retrospective controlled study enrolled 120 stage III CRC patients with hypertension were selected from January 2023 to November 2024. Patients were allocated to either the experimental group (capecitabine plus amlodipine, n = 60) or the control group (capecitabine plus valsartan, n = 60). The intervention duration was 8-12 cycles. Blood pressure, tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9)], and adverse events were compared using t-tests, χ² tests, and two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance.
RESULTS
Following treatment, the reductions in systolic blood pressure (119.04 ± 10.44 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (78.90 ± 4.23 mmHg) were markedly greater in the experimental group than the control group (P < 0.001). The decreases in CEA and CA19-9 levels were greater in the experimental group. Repeated-measures analysis of variance confirmed significant time × group interactions (CEA: P = 0.048; CA19-9: P = 0.036). There was no clinically relevant difference in the frequency of adverse reactions between the two groups (P > 0.05), with adverse events being predominantly grade 1-2 in both.
CONCLUSION
Amlodipine combined with capecitabine yields superior blood pressure control and greater reductions in CEA/CA19-9 than valsartan, with a comparable safety profile, but survival endpoint confirmation is required.
Core Tip: The current research paper examines the effects of combining calcium channel blockers and capecitabine on the treatment of colorectal cancer patients with associated hypertension. The results show that the use of amlodipine is more effective than valsartan in reducing tumor marker levels (carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9) with a better blood pressure control effect when combined with capecitabine. Therefore, there appears to be an interaction between calcium channel blockers and chemotherapy drugs that can be used to develop personalized anti-hypertensive therapy among colorectal cancer patients.
