on PinterestA recent study shows that GLP-1 drugs may help improve survival rates in people with breast cancer, obesity, and diabetes.
on PinterestA recent study shows that GLP-1 drugs may help improve survival rates in people with breast cancer, obesity, and diabetes. Image Credit: Tatsiana Volkava/Getty Images
- A recent study found that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may improve breast cancer survival and recurrence in those with obesity and related health conditions.
- The findings suggest that GLP-1 medications were associated with a lower risk of mortality in those with type 2 diabetes than insulin or metformin alone.
- Experts say that while the findings are promising, more research is still needed.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States, accounting for 30% of all new female cancers each year.
Individuals with breast cancer that co-occurs with obesity or type 2 diabetes may experience lower survival rates.
As GLP-1 medications become a widespread option for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes, a recent study examined their effects on breast cancer outcomes.
The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, show that for those with obesity, type 2 diabetes, or both, the use of GLP-1 drugs helped improve breast cancer survival rates and lower the odds of recurrence.
“[Breast cancer] patients with obesity or pre-existing type 2 diabetes often face more complex breast cancer journeys,” said lead study author Kristina L. Tatum, PsyD, MS, an instructor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Public Health at Virginia Commonwealth University.
“Our findings are encouraging because they suggest that GLP-1RA use may be associated with improved survival and lower recurrence among these patients,” Tatum told Healthline.
“While causation cannot be confirmed from this observational study, the findings provide important data for clinicians and patients with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes to consider as we continue to learn more about the possibilities of GLP-1RA therapies in breast cancer survivorship,” she said.
Role of obesity in breast cancer
With around 1 in 8 U.S. adults having used a GLP-1, like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, at some point, including 40% with diabetes and 25% with heart disease, the broader health implications of this class of drugs are of increasing interest to researchers.
While the effects of GLP-1 drugs on breast cancer warrant further investigation, the relationship between obesity and cancer may play a role.
In fact, overweight and obesity are known risk factors for breast cancer. Having excess weight also increases the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
GLP-1 medications, which are highly effective for weight loss, could therefore help lower these risks, as the new study suggests.
Amy Bremner, MD, breast surgical oncologist and medical director of breast surgical oncology at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA, who wasn’t involved in the study, said the findings were promising.
“We know that obesity is well-established as an obesity-associated cancer risk factor. Fat produces estrogen, which promotes certain breast cancer subtypes. By reducing body weight and fat mass, this could potentially reduce recurrence risk,” Bremner told Healthline.
Study co-author Bernard F. Fuemmeler, PhD, MPH, professor and Gordon D. Ginder, MD Chair in Cancer Research, said they
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