Patients with type 2 diabetes treated with GLP-1s were found to have a reduced risk for developing 10 types of obesity-related cancers than those taking insulin, according to a new study.
Researchers examined the medical records of 1.6 million patients with type 2 diabetes who had no prior history of 13 types of obesity-related cancers. Patient records included those being treated with insulin, metformin, or GLP-1s between March 2005 and November 2018.
When GLP-1s were compared with metformin, there was no decrease in cancer risk. However, there was a significantly reduced risk when compared with insulin, according to results published in JAMA Network Open. The 10 cancers with a reduced risk included colorectal, endometrial, esophageal, gallbladder, kidney, liver, meningioma, multiple myeloma, ovarian, and pancreatic.
"Given that T2D and overweight or obesity have negative impacts on patients during cancer therapy, GLP-1RAs should be evaluated for control of these comorbid conditions during cancer therapy as well as for secondary prevention to delay cancer recurrence," noted study investigators.
The findings show "preliminary evidence of the potential benefit" of GLP-1 drugs for cancer prevention in high-risk populations. Studies of the newer generation of GLP-1s for their cancer-preventative effects are warranted.
The study investigators reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.