GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Linked to Better Cancer Survival in Certain Patients

Colon cancer patients could live longer if they take GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, a new study suggests.

Researchers at UC San Diego studied more than 6,800 patients taking one of these popular, similar diabetes and weight loss medications.

They found that patients were much less likely to die within five years than those who did not take the drugs.

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According to a press release, only about 15% of LPG-1 users died in five years, compared to 37% of non-users.

The researchers found that the survival benefit was seen even after taking into account factors such as age, cancer severity and other medical problems.

“The central message is that GLP-1 medications were associated with substantially lower five-year mortality among patients with colon cancer, and that this signal was most pronounced in those with severe obesity, with a BMI equal to or greater than 35,” the study’s senior author, Raphael Cuomo, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and a member of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, told News Digital.

“Taken together, the findings are consistent with the idea that improving metabolic health and reducing obesity-related inflammation may translate into better cancer outcomes, not just better glycemic control.”

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The researcher said the findings, which were published in the journal Cancer Investigation on Nov. 11, were surprising.

“I expected some benefit in patients with severe obesity, because GLP-1 therapies directly target the metabolic and inflammatory environment that causes worse outcomes in colon cancer, but the absolute difference in five-year mortality was greater than many physicians would anticipate,” Cuomo said.

One possible reason for the effect is that GLP-1 is known to reduce inflammation, reduce insulin levels and promote weight loss, which could also slow cancer growth, according to the statement.

Some scientists also suspect that these drugs could act directly on tumor cells, although this has not yet been proven.

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Sue Decotiis, MD, a weight loss specialist in New York City, agreed that GLP-1s are known to “greatly reduce” systemic inflammation by reducing cytokines, which are inflammatory factors produced by fat cells. This, in turn, helps prevent various health problems throughout the body.

“It could be a direct effect of the GLP-1 drug to reduce inflammation in particular areas and therefore it is not surprising to see better cancer survival,” Decotiis, who was not involved in the study, told News Digital.

Potential limitations

The study had some limitations, mainly that it could not prove that GLP-1 caused prolonged survival, but only established an association.

“This was an observational analysis, so it is always possible that there was residual confounding despite extensive adjustment,” Cuomo told News Digital.

The number of patients who actually received GLP-1 medications was modest relative to the overall group, he noted, and the researchers did not have “perfectly complete information” about the exact “dose, duration, or compliance” for each individual.

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“Our data come from a single integrated academic health system, so generalizability needs to be tested in other settings,” Cuomo added.

More research and randomized studies are needed to confirm whether GLP-1 drugs really improve cancer survival.

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“Patients should not interpret these findings as evidence that GLP-1 drugs are proven anticancer drugs,” Cuomo said. “For now, the appropriate way forward in this work is to ensure that people with colon cancer who also have obesity or diabetes are offered guideline-supported metabolic therapies, including GLP-1 agents when clinically indicated, as part of comprehensive care.”

The researcher stressed that this is a “hopeful sign rather than a definitive answer.”

“This suggests that we can improve cancer outcomes by treating the whole person and not just the tumor, and that modern metabolic therapies could have unanticipated benefits for cancer patients,” he said.

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According to the researchers, the results also highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, optimizing metabolic health, and strictly following established cancer treatments and monitoring.

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Decotiis agreed that it is too early to use these drugs as adjuvant treatments for cancer, which will require more data.

“However, treating and preventing obesity and overweight patients is even more compelling after seeing the results of GLP-1,” he said. “These drugs definitely have a long-term future in the treatment of many diseases.”