GLP-1 weight-loss drugs cut cancer risk, death by half

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs could reduce the risk of developing or dying from cancer by up to 50 percent, according to a series of studies presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago. A retrospective analysis of 110,000 women found that those taking GLP-1 medications were 30 percent less likely to develop breast cancer compared with those not on the drugs, while a separate study of 27,000 breast cancer patients found that adding the medications to standard treatment reduced the risk of death by 30 percent. A third study involving 12,000 cancer patients at the Cleveland Clinic found that patients with lung, breast, bowel, or liver cancer who took the drugs were 38 to 50 percent less likely to develop stage-four disease. The findings add to growing evidence that GLP-1 medications, which mimic a hormone regulating blood sugar and appetite, may have cancer-fighting properties beyond their original purpose of treating type 2 diabetes and obesity. Researchers believe the drugs reduce systemic inflammation and have metabolic and epigenetic effects that could inhibit tumor growth. Dr. Elizabeth McDonald, who led the breast cancer prevention study at the University of Pennsylvania, noted that while the results are promising, the research was observational and further studies are needed to confirm whether the benefits stem from weight loss alone or other mechanisms of the drugs. In a separate development at the same conference, researchers announced that a new drug developed by scientists at Oxford called GRWD5769 caused tumors to shrink by at least 30 percent across six different cancer types, including cervical, liver, bladder, and non-small cell lung cancer. In a trial of 83 patients conducted at 28 cancer centers across four countries, tumors shrank in 26 patients. The drug works by binding to an enzyme called ERAP1 that makes tumors invisible to immunotherapy, allowing the treatment to identify and destroy cancer cells more effectively. Experts described the results as a cause for genuine optimism, though they noted larger trials will be needed to determine whether the approach can deliver lasting benefits for patients.