Three new studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago suggest that weight-loss drugs, particularly GLP-1 medications, may significantly reduce the risk of developing or dying from breast cancer. The research adds to growing evidence that these drugs, already widely used for obesity and type 2 diabetes, could become part of the cancer-fighting toolkit.
One analysis of 110,000 women aged 45 to 80 found that those taking GLP-1 medications were 30% less likely to develop breast cancer compared with those not taking the drugs. Dr Elizabeth McDonald, a professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, presented the findings, noting that while the study was observational, it supports further investigation into these drugs as cancer prevention tools.
A second study involving 27,000 breast cancer patients, led by IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori Dino Amadori in Italy, found that adding weight-loss drugs to standard treatment reduced the risk of death by 30%. A third study from the Cleveland Clinic, including 12,000 patients with breast, lung, bowel or liver cancer, showed that those on weight-loss drugs were 38% to 50% less likely to develop stage-four disease.
Experts not involved in the research highlighted the drugs’ anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties as potential mechanisms. Dr Marcin Chwistek of Fox Chase Cancer Center said GLP-1 receptor agonists have long suggested broader effects beyond glucose control. However, Dr Eleonora Teplinsky of Valley Health System cautioned that more studies are needed to determine whether the benefits stem from weight loss alone or other factors.
