Three new studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago suggest that weight-loss drugs may significantly reduce the risk of developing or dying from certain cancers. The research, involving tens of thousands of patients, found that GLP-1 medications—originally developed for type 2 diabetes and now widely used for weight management—could cut breast cancer risk by 30% and reduce the likelihood of cancer spreading by up to 50%.
The first study, a retrospective analysis of 110,000 women aged 45 to 80, found that those taking GLP-1 drugs were 30% less likely to develop breast cancer compared with those not taking the medications. Dr Elizabeth McDonald of the University of Pennsylvania, who presented the findings, noted that while the study was observational, it adds to evidence suggesting these drugs warrant further investigation as cancer prevention tools.
A second study, led by IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo in Italy, followed 27,000 breast cancer patients and found that adding weight-loss drugs to standard treatment reduced the risk of death by 30%. A third study from the Cleveland Clinic, involving 12,000 patients with breast, lung, bowel, or liver cancer, showed that those on GLP-1 medications were 38% to 50% less likely to develop stage-four disease.
Experts believe the benefits may stem from both weight loss and direct anti-inflammatory effects. Dr Marcin Chwistek of Fox Chase Cancer Center highlighted the drugs' broader properties, while Dr Eleonora Teplinsky of Valley Health System called for more research to clarify whether the effects are due to weight loss alone or other mechanisms.
