In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers investigated whether GLP-1 agonist drugs, known for their weight-loss effects, could lower the risk of developing obesity-related cancers.
GLP-1 agonists mimic a hormone that signals satiety after meals, with newer versions like Ozempic and Wegovy specifically designed for weight loss, although older versions such as Victoza and Trulicity were primarily studied in this analysis.
The study analyzed health records of over 1.6 million individuals with type 2 diabetes, comparing those prescribed GLP-1 agonists with those on insulin therapy, aiming to minimize bias in patient selection.
Results indicated that users of GLP-1 agonists between 2005 and 2018 had a reduced likelihood of being diagnosed with ten out of thirteen cancers associated with obesity, such as liver, pancreatic, colorectal, and endometrial cancers, compared to insulin users.
However, the study found no significant reduction in breast, thyroid, or stomach cancers with GLP-1 agonists, nor did it observe an increase in risk for these cancers. Notably, the analysis did not quantify how much weight loss was associated with GLP-1 agonist use.
Comparisons were also made between GLP-1 agonists and metformin, another common diabetes treatment with known cancer risk reduction properties. Surprisingly, GLP-1 agonists did not show superior cancer risk reduction compared to metformin, and they were associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer relative to metformin.
The study underscores that while GLP-1 agonists appear promising in reducing specific obesity-related cancers, particularly when compared to insulin, it cannot definitively establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
To establish causality, future prospective randomized studies, where participants are randomly assigned GLP-1 agonists or placebos and monitored over years for cancer development, are needed.
Moreover, the study’s timeframe (2005-2018) suggests that newer GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy, approved in 2017 and 2021 respectively, might not have been widely used among the subjects. Consequently, their potential impact on cancer risk remains uncertain based on this data.
While this study highlights the potential benefit of GLP-1 agonists in lowering the risk of specific obesity-related cancers, it underscores the need for further research to establish causality, particularly with newer drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
Understanding the precise mechanisms and broader implications of these findings could potentially influence future treatment strategies for individuals at risk of both diabetes and cancer.
