Study: GLP-1 Medications May Reduce the Risk of Cancer Progression

GLP-1 receptor agonists, used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, may be linked to a lower risk of progression in some types of cancer. This is indicated by a new study from specialists at the Cleveland Clinic, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, reports NBC News.

The results add to a growing body of evidence that popular medications for weight loss and blood sugar control may have additional health benefits beyond the already established effects on diabetes, cardiovascular risk, and kidney disease.

Researchers analyzed the medical records of over 10,000 patients from the TriNetX Global Health Research Network international database. All participants had been diagnosed with stage 1, 2, or 3 cancer and began GLP-1 therapy after their diagnosis.

Seven types of oncological diseases were tracked: breast, colon, kidney, liver, lung, pancreatic, and prostate cancer.

For comparison, the scientists formed a control group of patients with the same characteristics—type and stage of cancer, presence of obesity, smoking status, and other comorbidities. The difference was that the control group took another type of diabetes medication—DPP-4 inhibitors.

The results show that for almost all types of cancer, with the exception of kidney cancer, patients on GLP-1 therapy were less likely to develop metastases or have the disease progress to stage 4.

A statistically significant reduction in risk was found in four types of cancer:

• non-small cell lung cancer;
• breast cancer;
• colorectal cancer;
• liver cancer.

The strongest effect was reported in lung and breast cancer. Lung cancer patients taking GLP-1 medications had a 50% lower risk of the disease progressing to stage 4 compared to the control group.

In breast cancer, the risk of progression was 43% lower.

The study’s author, Dr. Marc Orland from the Cleveland Clinic, points out that the positive effect is likely due to the medications themselves, rather than solely to better weight or diabetes control.

The scientists also found a possible explanation for the observed effect. It appears that tumors with a higher number of GLP-1 receptors less frequently develop metastases in patients on these therapies.

According to specialists, the medications may influence the mechanisms through which tumor cells obtain energy, as well as the immune system by reducing inflammation and strengthening the anti-tumor immune response.

Despite the promising results, experts emphasize that the study is observational and does not prove a causal relationship. Randomized clinical trials are needed to determine if GLP-1 medications can actually be used as part of oncological treatment.

For now, specialists remain cautious—the drugs are not being considered as a future first-line therapy against cancer, but the data suggest that their use in patients with diabetes or obesity and concurrent oncological disease is likely safe and may provide additional benefits.