Weight-Loss Treatment Tied to Lower Risk for Obesity-Related Cancers

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Weight-loss treatments may help lower the risk for obesity-related cancers in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Testimony Ipaye, from University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, and colleagues evaluated whether weight-loss interventions are associated with obesity-associated cancers (OAC) in individuals with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Data from the TriNetX database were used to identify adults with overweight/obesity and T2D, treated with either semaglutide (64,178 patients), tirzepatide (19,682 patients), or bariatric surgery (BS; 9,642 patients) between June 2005 and June 2025. Patients were propensity score-matched (1:1) with individuals treated with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i).

The researchers found that semaglutide was associated with lower rates of composite OAC (hazard ratio [HR], 0.88) and colorectal (HR, 0.80), liver (HR, 0.75), and pancreatic (HR, 0.76) cancers compared with DPP-4i. Tirzepatide was associated with a nonsignificantly lower rate of composite OAC (HR, 0.84; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.69 to 1.01) versus DPP-4i, but a significantly lower rate of ovarian cancer (HR, 0.31; 95 percent CI, 0.10 to 0.95). Compared with DPP-4i, BS was associated with lower rates of composite OAC (HR, 0.85), liver cancer (HR, 0.56), and uterine cancer (HR, 0.59) and higher rates of gastric cardia cancer (HR, 10.54) and esophageal cancer (HR, 4.78).

“Because this study included data from tens of thousands of people, our findings give us confidence that the potential benefits of weight-loss treatments for cancer prevention could be relevant to a wide range of patients in the real world,” Ipaye said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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