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New studies suggest drugs like Ozempic, Zepbound might slow tumor progression and improve survival; more research needed
New studies suggest drugs like Ozempic, Zepbound might slow tumor progression and improve survival; more research needed to confirm finding
(Gift Article) Weight-Loss Drugs May Have Surprising Side Effect: Stalling Cancer
— StuFalk (@stufalk.bsky.social) 2026-05-21T23:23:06.713Z
New studies suggest drugs like Ozempic, Zepbound might slow tumor progression and improve survival; more research needed to confirm finding.
www.wsj.com/health/pharm...
https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/popular-weight-loss-drugs-may-have-surprising-side-effect-stalling-cancer-dec90596?st=hbahmJ&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
The world’s most popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs are linked to a powerful new possible benefit: better outcomes for cancer patients.
A suite of four new studies suggest that people taking so-called GLP-1 drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro saw reductions in tumor progression, lower overall chance of death and less risk of developing breast cancer.
“It’s really provocative that they showed, in several cancers, that people who took these drugs seem to have a lower risk of their cancer returning,” said Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, a breast oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who wasn’t involved in any of the studies.
One study from researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute tracked more than 10,000 patients with early-stage cancers who started GLP-1 drugs after diagnosis and compared their disease progression to those on a different diabetes medication. Those on GLP-1s were less likely to see their cancer spread.
In lung cancer patients, the rate of progression to advanced disease was cut roughly in half—10% in GLP-1 users versus 22% in the comparison group. Breast cancer patients showed a similar pattern, with progression rates of 10% versus 20%. Colorectal and liver cancers also showed statistically significant reductions......
Other studies specifically looked at breast cancer, examining both whether GLP-1 users were less likely to develop the disease and whether they lived longer after diagnosis. An analysis from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center of more than 137,000 breast cancer patients found that more than 95% of GLP-1 users were alive after five years, compared with 89.5% for nonusers.
A University of Pennsylvania study of nearly 95,000 women undergoing breast imaging found those who had taken a GLP-1 drug were about 25% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, even after accounting for age, weight and other risk factors.
A suite of four new studies suggest that people taking so-called GLP-1 drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro saw reductions in tumor progression, lower overall chance of death and less risk of developing breast cancer.
“It’s really provocative that they showed, in several cancers, that people who took these drugs seem to have a lower risk of their cancer returning,” said Dr. Jennifer Ligibel, a breast oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute who wasn’t involved in any of the studies.
One study from researchers at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute tracked more than 10,000 patients with early-stage cancers who started GLP-1 drugs after diagnosis and compared their disease progression to those on a different diabetes medication. Those on GLP-1s were less likely to see their cancer spread.
In lung cancer patients, the rate of progression to advanced disease was cut roughly in half—10% in GLP-1 users versus 22% in the comparison group. Breast cancer patients showed a similar pattern, with progression rates of 10% versus 20%. Colorectal and liver cancers also showed statistically significant reductions......
Other studies specifically looked at breast cancer, examining both whether GLP-1 users were less likely to develop the disease and whether they lived longer after diagnosis. An analysis from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center of more than 137,000 breast cancer patients found that more than 95% of GLP-1 users were alive after five years, compared with 89.5% for nonusers.
A University of Pennsylvania study of nearly 95,000 women undergoing breast imaging found those who had taken a GLP-1 drug were about 25% less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, even after accounting for age, weight and other risk factors.
My oldest child sent me this article. It is early but these results are interesting.
I am a type II diabetic. I went from an A1C of 14+ (this was just after my old doctor practice fired Blue Cross and I have to replace all of my doctors) to a low of 5.3. I have also lost 50+ pounds. I am now totally off the fast-acting insulin and have cut back the long-lasting insulin to one-third of my old dosage. My last A1C was 6.1. Due to past use of NSAIDs, I have been seeing a renal specialist for over 25 years. My kidney function has gone from 52% for the last 22 years to 88% for the last three years.
I have fewer side effects with Mounjara compared to Ozempic. I am happy with these results and hope to cut back on the long-lasting insulin. There are reports of type II diabetics going off all insulins.
These additional potential benefits are very interesting.