In four of the seven cancer types the researchers looked at (lung, breast, bowel and liver cancer) people who took GLP-1s were 38% to 50% less likely to develop stage 4 cancer. In the other three types (prostate, pancreatic, and kidney cancer), the difference was too small to be statistically significant, which means it’s likely to have happened by chance.
“This is an early observational study looking at the medical records of people with cancer taking GLP-1 drugs used for diabetes and weight loss,” explained Mei Chen from our research information team. “It doesn’t show a definitive link between GLP-1 drugs and cancer progression, and other factors could contribute to the differences seen between patients.”
The lead researcher, Dr Mark Orland, said the results provide early evidence that scientists should do more studies into weight loss drugs and cancer. Some lab researchers are already working to understand how GLP-1s may interfere with cancer cells, whether by depriving them of fuel, reducing the inflammation that helps them grow and spread, or helping immune cells target them more effectively. Beyond that – and before GLP-1s can become part of cancer care – good-quality clinical trials will also need to directly test how they affect outcomes for cancer patients.
“There’s growing interest in the longer-term effects of GLP-1 medications, including any possible links with cancer outcomes, but it’s still an emerging area of research and there are no clear answers yet,” said Chen.
“People should not change or start any medication based on this research and should speak to their doctor first if they are considering using weight loss drugs.”
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