A new study finds women taking GLP-1 Receptor agonists were significantly less likely to develop obesity-related cancers.
Popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound may help lower a woman’s risk for 14 types of cancer, a new study suggests.
Researchers compared GLP-1 receptor agonists to another class of diabetes drugs called DPP-4 inhibitors.
The results showed women taking GLP-1 meds had an 8% lower risk of developing an obesity-related cancer and a 20% lower risk of death from any cause. But the same benefit was not seen among men taking GLP-1 meds.
The researchers followed more than 170,000 people with obesity and diabetes who began treatment with one of these drugs between 2013 and 2023.
According to the results, GLP-1 receptor agonists were associated with a modestly lower risk of developing 14 types of cancer, especially colorectal cancer.
There were 16% fewer colon cancer cases and 28% fewer rectal cancer cases in the group prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists.
The President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology says, “…Given the clear link between cancer and obesity, defining the clinical role of GLP-1 medications in cancer prevention is important.”
The lead author says while these findings are reassuring, more studies are required to prove causation.
This study will be presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting
Author Affiliations: NYU Grossman School of Medicine , Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Geisinger Health System
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