Three studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago have suggested that weight-loss drugs could cut the risk of developing or dying from cancer by up to 30%. The findings add to growing evidence that GLP-1 medications, originally used for type 2 diabetes and now widely prescribed for weight management, may have a role in cancer prevention and treatment.
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. The study, presented by Dr Elizabeth McDonald of the University of Pennsylvania, was observational and did not confirm a definitive link, but it highlighted the need for further investigation.
A second study involving 27,000 breast cancer patients, led by the 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 from the disease by 30%. A third study, led by the Cleveland Clinic, examined patients with breast, lung, bowel, or liver cancer and found that those on weight-loss drugs were 38% to 50% less likely to have their cancer spread to stage four.
Dr Marcin Chwistek of Fox Chase Cancer Center noted that GLP-1 receptor agonists have anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties that may explain these effects. However, Dr Eleonora Teplinsky of Valley Health System cautioned that it is unclear whether the benefits stem from weight loss alone or other mechanisms, and called for more research.
