GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), drugs widely used for type 2 diabetes and obesity, such as ozempic, do not increase the risk of obesity-related cancers.
The work, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, reviews the available evidence and … concludes that these drugs have little or no impact on tumors such as those of the thyroid, pancreas, breast or kidneys.
The research, carried out by scientists at Harvard Medical School (United States), analyzed 48 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, including 94,245 people with type 2 diabetes or who were overweight or obese.
The studies evaluated drugs approved by the United States health authorities (FDA), including semaglutide, dulaglutide and tirzepatideand reported findings linked to several types of obesity-related cancer: from colorectal and esophageal cancer to liver, endometrial and ovarian tumors, including multiple myeloma and meningioma.
Most trials had relatively short follow-ups and were not specifically designed to study cancer risk.
Yet the results were consistent: GLP-1RAs likely have little or no effect on the risk of thyroid, pancreatic, breast, or kidney cancer.. For other tumors, such as colorectal, esophageal or liver cancer, the certainty of the evidence was low and the possible effect on gastric cancer remains particularly uncertain.
Subgroup analyses, which compared different medications, doses, and exposure durations, showed similar results across categories.
Taken together, the results suggest that there is no clear sign of an increased cancer risk associated with GLP-1RA use. However, the authors caution that longer studies specifically designed to assess cancer are needed to clarify potential risks or even possible protective effects.
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