GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro have already transformed treatment for obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Now, emerging research suggests they may also reduce the risk of tumors spreading to other parts of the body in people who have cancer.
The study due to be presented this week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting looked at data from over 10,000 patients with different types of solid tumors including breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancers. The research found that patients who began taking GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs after their cancer diagnosis had a lower risk of their cancer progressing, compared with patients taking a different type of medication used to treat diabetes called gliptins
“Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs, compared to DPP-4 inhibitors [gliptins] and other antidiabetic drugs, was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across 4 solid tumor types. It provides early evidence that future studies are worth pursuing,” said Mark Orland, MD, from Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and lead investigator of the study in a press release.
Using a global health research network called TriNetX containing data from more than 145 million patient records, the researchers found data from people with cancer who started GLP-1 receptor agonists after their diagnosis. They further found patients with the same characteristics and demographics who had been given a different anti-diabetic drug to act as controls.
The analysis found a reduced risk of cancer spread in four different types of cancer; non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and the most common form of liver cancer. Patients who took GLP-1 receptor agonists were between 38% and 50% less likely to have their cancer spread to other parts of the body than people who took gliptins. Patients with cancer on GLP-1 drugs did not have an increased risk of side effects compared to people taking gliptins.
“These results deserve cautious optimism. For patients managing both diabetes and cancer, the possibility that their antidiabetic medication may also be working in their favor is an encouraging finding. That said, these are observational data, and observational data have limits,” said Dr. Orland, quoted in the ASCO Daily News.
In a separate analysis using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, investigators found that tumors with higher GLP-1 receptor expression were associated with an improved overall survival in the seven cancer types studied. The strongest association appeared in breast cancer.
Although the results seem promising, the researchers caution that much more work is needed before firm conclusions can be made, including randomized controlled trials, where patients in two groups would be directly compared both with and without receiving GLP-1 drugs.
“GLP-1 receptor agonists have never been just glucose-lowering drugs. Their anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties have long suggested broader effects. What’s new here is the consistency across tumor types, and data this large and this consistent warrant a prospective randomized trial,” said Marcin Chwistek, MD, Chief of Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
If more evidence shows GLP-1 drugs are found to reduce the chance of cancer progressing, the researchers also want to figure out why and have many possible hypotheses at the moment, including the drug changing the immune system, acting directly on tumor cells and reducing inflammation.
“Whether the protective signal operates through immunomodulation, direct GLP-1 receptor signaling on tumor or stromal cells, reduction in systemic inflammation, or metabolic reprogramming remains an open and important question that we are actively pursuing,” Dr. Orland concluded.
Other studies have also suggested that GLP-1 drugs may have a role in cancer prevention. Research led by scientists at the University of Texas, showed that they slightly reduced the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Another study led by researchers at the University of Indiana showed a reduced risk of developing several types of cancer in people who were overweight or obese.
