WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A new study suggests GLP-1 medications may slow the spread of certain obesity-related cancers.
"GLP-1 receptor agonists have never been just glucose-lowering drugs," said Dr. Marcin Chwistek, chief of supportive oncology and palliative care Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia and an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) expert in supportive care. "Their anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties have long suggested broader effects."
Researchers analyzed health data from more than 12,000 people who had one of seven types of cancer at stage 1, 2 or 3.
They compared patients who started taking GLP-1 drugs after their diagnosis with similar patients taking another class of diabetes drugs called gliptins.
"Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs, compared to DPP-4 inhibitors and other antidiabetic drugs, was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across four solid tumor types," said co-author Dr. Mark David Orland of the Taussig Cancer Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.
The strongest results were seen in lung, breast, colon and liver cancer, where patients taking GLP-1 medications were found to be 38% to 50% less likely to progress to stage 4 or metastatic cancer.
GLP-1 use was also linked to a 33% lower risk of death overall. The biggest benefit was seen in breast cancer, where the risk of death dropped by 45%.
The anti-inflammatory and immune-related effects of GLP-1s may help explain the findings, according to the authors.
While cautioning that this was an observational study and cannot prove cause and effect, they say the findings are strong enough to justify future clinical trials.
The study is to be presented at ASCO’s annual meeting, taking place in Chicago May 29 to June 2.
Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on obesity and cancer.
SOURCE: HealthDay TV, May 27, 2026