Risk of Obesity-Related Cancer Similar for GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Bariatric Surgery

THURSDAY, May 15, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) may cut the risk of obesity-related cancer (ORC) in patients being treated for diabetes and obesity, according to a study published online May 11 in eClinicalMedicine.

Yael Wolff Sagy, Ph.D., from Clalit Health Services in Tel-Aviv, Israel, and colleagues conducted an observational, retrospective cohort study based on electronic medical records data to compare the incidence of ORC in adults (≥24 years) living with obesity and diabetes who were treated with a first-generation GLP-1 RA or with bariatric metabolic surgery (BMS). Analysis included 3,178 matched pairs.

The researchers found that over a median of 7.5 years, ORC occurred in 5.62 cases per 1,000 person-years in the BMS group and in 5.89 cases per 1,000 person-years in the GLP-1 RA group (adjusted hazard ratio for GLP-1 RA versus BMS, 1.11; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.44). Assessment of mediation through weight loss had an estimated direct effect of 41 percent relative risk reduction of the pharmacotherapy.

“The estimated direct effect of GLP-1 RA versus BMS on the risk for ORC may point at additional pathways beyond weight loss in which GLP-1 RAs contribute to the decreased risk for ORC, such as reducing inflammation,” the authors write. “However, future studies are needed to validate the observed effects and explore the underlying mechanisms.”

Abstract/Full Text