Three studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago suggest that weight-loss drugs, known as GLP-1 medications, could reduce the risk of developing or dying from certain cancers by up to 30%. The findings add to growing evidence that these drugs, already widely used for obesity and type 2 diabetes, may play a role in cancer prevention and treatment.
One 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 them. Dr Elizabeth McDonald of the University of Pennsylvania noted that while the study was observational, it supports further investigation into these drugs as potential cancer prevention tools.
A second study involving 27,000 breast cancer patients found that adding weight-loss drugs to standard treatment reduced the risk of death from the disease by 30%. A third study of 12,000 patients with breast, lung, bowel or liver cancer reported that those on GLP-1 drugs were 38% to 50% less likely to develop stage-four cancer.
Researchers believe the drugs' anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects may inhibit tumour growth, beyond the benefits of weight loss. However, experts caution that more studies are needed to confirm the exact mechanisms and benefits.
