As new research keeps pouring in, the medical world is learning more about the potential life-saving benefits of GLP-1 medications beyond diabetes and weight loss. New studies show that the class of drugs that includes Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro may lower risk for several cancers, even lung cancer, which is not normally associated with excess weight or obesity.

More than 40 studies and reviews were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago this week. Results consistently show that people taking GLP-1 medications have a lower risk of developing certain cancers than those not taking the drugs. Taking the drugs may also improve the outcomes for those already diagnosed with cancer.

The findings are “super promising,” said Dr. Mark Orland, a cancer researcher at the Cleveland Clinic, according to The Washington Post. “We’re really excited to be on the forefront of looking at the effects of these drugs.”

 An analysis from the University of Pennsylvania, published in JCO Oncology Practice, found that among 100,000 women, those taking GLP-1 drugs were approximately 30% less likely to develop breast cancer than those not taking GLP-1s.

Another study presented at ASCO found that patients with lung, breast, colorectal or liver cancer who were taking a GLP-1 medication were 38% to 50% less likely to progress to metastatic disease.

Scientists at MD Anderson Cancer Center found that breast cancer patients taking GLP-1 drugs had a nearly 96% survival rate after surgery compared with about 90% of similar patients who were not taking the medications

The benefits of GLP-1 drugs for lung cancer were even more surprising since the disease is not generally associated with weight. Emerging research shows GLP-1s are associated with reduced lung cancer incidence, slower metastatic spread, and improved survival outcomes, particularly for overweight and obese patients.

GLP-1s Enhance Cancer Treatment

Two studies presented at the ASCO meeting shared that the GLP-1 drugs improved outcomes even in patients with advanced disease. Patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer, for example, taking the drugs had lower mortality rates than those not on GLP-1s. Researchers said the findings suggest that GLP-1s may enhance the effectiveness of the immunotherapy treatment given to those patients.

Another study showed that patients taking GLP-1s with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treated with targeted therapies had substantially better outcomes, with five-year survival of 63% compared with 40% among nonusers.

Implications

The most recent findings on GLP-1 medications mean that the drugs have other benefits besides weight loss, such as reducing inflammation or changing the way cancer spreads through the body. Perhaps they even slow tumor growth, scientists suggest.

But since the studies presented are mainly observational, experts warn that they may not prove successful in future clinical trials, like the older diabetes drug, metformin, which was linked to cancer reduction back in 2010 but failed to provide the same benefits in clinical trials.

However, the studies on GLP-1s do show that many chronic diseases share the same biology and raise questions about how they are related. Heart disease, diabetes, dementia, cancer, and obesity may have more metabolic pathways in common than originally suspected, according to researchers.