Weight loss injections that mimic the hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) may reduce cancer risk by up to 50% through mechanisms that extend beyond their weight-reduction effects, according to groundbreaking research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain.
The study, conducted by researchers from Clalit Health Services in Tel-Aviv, Israel, analyzed electronic health records of 6,356 adults treated for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Half received bariatric surgery while the other half were treated with first-generation GLP-1 receptor agonists including liraglutide, exenatide, or dulaglutide.
Over a typical follow-up period of 7.5 years, 298 patients developed obesity-related cancers at similar rates in both groups. However, when researchers accounted for the additional weight loss achieved through surgery, they discovered that GLP-1 medications were 41% more effective at preventing weight-related cancers.
"This is potentially very exciting news for patients who are at high risk of obesity-related cancer, and possibly even other cancers," said study author Dr. Yael Wolff Sagy. "This indicates there is an additional mechanism with the jabs beyond simple weight loss. We believe this effect may come from the inflammation-reducing quality of GLP-1s."
Beyond Weight Loss: Anti-Inflammatory Effects
The findings suggest that GLP-1 agonists—medications currently approved for weight management and type 2 diabetes—may have significant anti-cancer properties through their anti-inflammatory effects. This could represent a paradigm shift in cancer prevention strategies.
Professor Mark Lawler, an international cancer researcher from Queen's University Belfast who was not involved in the research, called the results "very exciting," noting that "biologically, this makes sense, as targeting GLP-1 dampens down inflammation, one of the hallmarks of cancer."
Previous research has established that bariatric surgery reduces obesity-related cancer risk by approximately 38%. The new data suggests GLP-1 medications might provide even greater protection, potentially cutting cancer risk by nearly half.
Planned Large-Scale Clinical Trial
Inspired by these promising results, a team at the University of Manchester, funded by Cancer Research UK, is designing a clinical trial involving tens of thousands of patients to further investigate the cancer-prevention potential of these medications.
"Rates of obesity have been rising quite substantially across the world for the past 30 years. We haven't seen any country, particularly in the West, able to curb that rise," explained Dr. Matthew Harris of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre. "There's going to be this massive increase in obesity-related cancers. If we're able to reverse obesity and prevent those cancers from happening, it could be a really significant public health intervention."
The planned trial, which researchers hope to launch within three to five years, has garnered significant support from the scientific community. A consensus statement backing the investigation of weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro for cancer prevention has been endorsed by 54 specialists from 12 countries, including 25 from the UK.
Implications for Cancer Prevention
The potential implications of these findings extend beyond individuals with obesity. Dr. Wolff Sagy suggested that "there could be a future where people who are not obese, but have other risk factors for cancer, could be prescribed GLP-1s to help prevent it."
Jason Halford, former president of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, described the breakthrough as potentially heralding a "new dawn" in cancer prevention. "I suspect oncologists will be interested in prescribing anti-obesity drugs. This has the potential to reduce the burden on oncology services in the NHS," he said.
Challenges and Future Directions
Despite the promising results, researchers acknowledge several challenges ahead. The exact mechanisms through which GLP-1 agonists exert their anti-cancer effects require further investigation. Additionally, the high cost of newer-generation GLP-1 medications presents a significant barrier to their widespread use for cancer prevention.
"These drugs could be useful for a wide range of conditions. We would like to study other inflammation-related conditions, such as blood clots, to see if this effect is reproduced," noted Dr. Wolff Sagy. "The issue is that demand for these drugs is already through the roof. [Pharmaceutical companies] will need to figure out a way of making them cheaper."
With half of the population expected to develop cancer in their lifetimes, the potential for a preventative approach using GLP-1 agonists represents a significant advance in public health strategy. As Professor Lawler concluded, "This work could herald a whole new era of preventative cancer medicine."
