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The potential benefits of GLP-1 medications continue to expand.
New research has found that the weight loss and diabetes drugs — officially known as glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists — are associated with a reduced risk of some cancers, especially in women.
Researchers at Indiana University and the University of Florida analyzed the incidence of 14 cancers in adults with obesity who were prescribed GLP-1s, comparing them to cancer rates in non-users.
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The study, published in JAMA Oncology, examined health record data from 2014 to 2024 for adults over 18 who were eligible for anti-obesity medications and did not have a prior cancer history.
Of the 86,632 individuals sampled, 68.2% of whom were female, the results indicated a “significantly lower overall cancer risk” among those taking GLP-1s.
A new study finds that GLP-1 medications could reduce the risk of over a dozen cancers. (iStock)
Taking GLP-1s was particularly associated with a reduced risk of endometrial, ovarian and meningioma cancers.
Although the results were mostly positive, the study did find an association between GLP-1 use and an increased risk of kidney cancer, the researchers noted.
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The researchers concluded that a longer-term follow-up study is needed to “clarify the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications of these findings.”
Dr. Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, was not involved with this study but reacted to the findings in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Taking GLP-1s was particularly associated with a reduced risk of endometrial, ovarian and meningioma cancers. (iStock)
Slomovitz, who treats women with endometrial and ovarian cancers, noted that these are often obesity-driven cancers and that this association between GLP-1 and risk reduction is “not surprising.”
“The opportunities [for GLP-1s] are tremendous, and if the studies are positive, that’s game-changing —just like we see in other diseases,” he said.
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Some of these are also estrogen-driven cancers, and estrogen is made by fat cells, the gynecologic oncologist pointed out.
“The weight loss physically decreases the amount of fat cells and the estrogen production,” he said. “By decreasing weight, this class of medications helps to decrease some of the inflammation that we see, and some of the insulin resistance.”
High rates of endometrial cancers are “primarily driven” by obesity, an oncologist confirmed. (iStock)
Although Slomovitz is not prescribing these drugs to his patients, he does “strongly” recommend them.
Patients are “better served” by an expert, such as a weight-loss physician or primary care doctor, who can closely monitor them while taking these drugs, the doctor suggested, especially with the risk of certain side effects, like nausea or pancreatitis.
“The opportunities [for GLP-1s] are tremendous, and if the studies are positive, that’s game-changing.”
Slomovitz said he particularly recommends GLP-1s to endometrial cancer patients after treatment.
“I tell them, ‘You’ve beat cancer. Now we need to figure out what we can do to help you live much, much longer,’” he said. “I tell them truthfully, they’re not going to die of cancer, but their obesity, their diabetes, their heart disease [might lead to death].”
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Along with five-year surveillance post-cancer, Slomovitz recommends seeing a doctor for weight loss, which has made his patients “super happy.”
The doctor added that more research is necessary to confirm whether GLP-1s, or weight loss in general, can also reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in survivors.
The oncologist said his patients feel “better” and “lighter” after GLP-1 use. (iStock)
One “exciting” possibility for these drugs is the ability to maintain fertility in women by shrinking lesions on reproductive organs without the need for surgery, such as a hysterectomy, Slomovitz noted.
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Ongoing studies are looking into how GLP-1s can impact hormonal conditions in women, like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which could help to decrease obesity and infertility.
“Anecdotally, what I’m also seeing from my patients — they’re lighter, they feel better, they’re more motivated to go to the gym, they’re motivated to exercise, they’re more motivated to [adopt] a healthier lifestyle, because they see what it could feel like lighter,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“[GLP-1s] are definitely here to stay … And the next generation, if it follows this trajectory, will continue to do great things for our patients.”