A Cleveland Clinic-led study using TriNetX data found people taking GLP-1 drugs were less likely to see several obesity-related cancers progress to stage 4 disease. Researchers tracked 12,112 patients across seven cancer types and said results are promising en
For months, GLP-1 drugs have been selling the promise of weight loss and better blood sugar control. Now, a new study is pushing those benefits into a far more alarming question: can these medicines slow certain cancers from worsening?
The Cleveland Clinic-led research. posted May 21 on the American Society of Clinical Oncology website. found that people taking GLP-1 drugs were less likely to see some obesity-related cancers spread and advance to stage 4 disease. The cancers studied included lung, breast, colorectal and liver among others. Still, experts stressed the work is observational, so it cannot prove the drugs directly slowed cancer progression.
The stakes are clear—once cancers move forward to later stages, treatment options and outcomes often change dramatically. This study doesn’t offer that definitive answer yet. But it does add fuel to a growing line of investigation suggesting GLP-1 drugs may have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects beyond their role in diabetes and weight management.
The study tracked 12,112 patients with stage 1 to stage 3 cancers
Dr. Mark David Orland of the Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute led the analysis using data from the TriNetX Global Health Research Network. Investigators analyzed records from 12,112 patients diagnosed with stage 1 through stage 3 cancers.
The research focused on seven obesity-related cancer types: breast, colorectal, prostate, pancreatic, liver, kidney and non-small cell lung cancer. Half the patients began taking GLP-1 drugs, while the other half took DPP-4 inhibitors, another class of Type 2 diabetes medications.
To make the comparison as fair as possible, researchers matched patients based on factors including age, body mass index, smoking history, cancer treatments and other health conditions.
The main goal was to see whether cancers spread and advanced to stage 4 disease.
In six of seven cancers, progression rates were lower with GLP-1 drugs
The findings showed lower rates of cancer progression in six of the seven cancer types studied among patients taking GLP-1 drugs.
Four cancers showed statistically significant reductions: non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and liver cancer.
Among lung cancer patients, 10% of those taking GLP-1 drugs progressed to stage 4 disease, compared with 22% of those taking DPP-4 inhibitors. For breast cancer, progression rates were 10% for patients taking GLP-1 medications versus 20% in the control group.
Colorectal cancer progression occurred in 13% of GLP-1 users versus 22% of DPP-4 inhibitor users, while liver cancer progression occurred in 19% versus 28%.
Researchers also looked at tumor biology. They found that patients with tumors showing higher GLP-1 receptor levels tended to live longer overall. In breast cancer patients, higher GLP-1 receptor levels were linked to a 45% lower risk of death compared with patients whose tumors had lower levels.
What stands out is that these signals show up across multiple cancers, not just one. The same dataset. the same matching approach. and the same overall outcome—progression to stage 4—were used across the cancer types examined. The result is that the pattern isn’t confined to a single diagnosis. even though not every cancer type reached statistical significance.
Orland said the evidence points to future studies, not immediate treatment changes
Orland framed the results as early evidence worth pursuing rather than proof of cause. He said the findings suggest the benefits may stem from the drugs themselves, not simply from improved diabetes or obesity control.
“This study provides early evidence that future studies are worth pursuing,” Orland said during an ASCO news briefing.
Outside experts also emphasized what would need to happen next. Dr. Marcin Chwistek of the Fox Chase Cancer Center said the consistency across multiple cancer types makes the findings particularly noteworthy.
“What’s new here is the consistency across tumor types, and data this large and this consistent warrant a prospective randomized trial,” Chwistek said.
Researchers cautioned against drawing treatment conclusions right away. Even so, they also pointed out that serious side effects were not increased among cancer patients taking the medications, including pancreatitis.
The research has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and experts cautioned that because the study was observational, it cannot prove GLP-1 drugs directly slowed cancer progression.
Still, researchers and outside experts said the results are promising enough to justify larger randomized clinical trials.
GLP-1 semaglutide Ozempic Wegovy Zepbound cancer progression stage 4 Cleveland Clinic TriNetX American Society of Clinical Oncology lung cancer breast cancer colorectal cancer liver cancer DPP-4 inhibitors