Three studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago suggest that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs could reduce the risk of developing or dying from breast cancer by up to 30%. The findings add to growing evidence that these medications, already widely used for obesity and type 2 diabetes, may play a role in cancer prevention and treatment.
The first study, a retrospective 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 to those not on the drugs. Dr Elizabeth McDonald of the University of Pennsylvania, who presented the findings, noted that while the study is 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 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, involving 12,000 patients with breast, lung, bowel or liver cancer, showed that those on GLP-1 drugs were 38% to 50% less likely to develop stage-four disease.
Experts suggest the drugs' anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects may inhibit tumour growth, beyond weight loss alone. However, researchers caution that more studies are needed to confirm the mechanisms and benefits. Dr Eleonora Teplinsky of Valley Health System noted that while the data shows an impact on cancer risk, the exact reasons remain unclear.
