02 Nov GLP-1RA Use May Reduce Risk of Developing Several Obesity-Related Cancers
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Bian Jiang
Jiang Bian, PhD
Associate Dean of Data Science
Walther and Regenstrief Professor of Cancer Informatics
Professor of Biostatistics & Health Data Science
Adjunct Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Informatics
Chief Data Scientist, Regenstrief Institute
Chief Data ScientistCustomize & Schedule Social Media Posts
Indiana University Health
Dr. Serena Guo
Serena Jingchuan Guo, MD PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy
University of Florida College of Pharmacy
Dr. Hao Dai
Hao Dai, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Biostatistics & Health Data Science
Indiana University School of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Obesity and type 2 diabetes are both known to increase the risk of several cancers. Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have become very popular for both glycemic control and weight loss, but their long-term effects on cancer risk are still unclear. Using a large real-world dataset, we emulated a target trial comparing more than 43,000 GLP-1RA users to matched non-users.
We found that GLP-1RA use was associated with a significantly lower overall cancer risk.
MedicalResearch.com: Are there certain cancers that are more likely to be affected by GLP-1 drugs?
Response: Yes. In our analysis, GLP-1RA use was associated with a notably lower risk of endometrial, ovarian and meningioma cancers, all of which have been linked to obesity and hormonal pathways. Interestingly, we also observed a non-significant but concerning trend toward higher kidney cancer risk. This mixed pattern suggests that GLP-1 signaling may affect cancer risk through multiple, possibly tissue-specific mechanisms.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Overall, our findings suggest that GLP-1RA use may reduce the risk of developing several obesity-related cancers, but careful long-term monitoring remains important. The results are reassuring for most cancer types, yet they also highlight the complexity of drug effects on different tissues. Patients should not make treatment decisions based solely on cancer concerns, but clinicians and researchers should continue to evaluate long-term outcomes.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a results of this study?
Response: Future work should aim to replicate these findings in other large cohorts and explore underlying biological mechanisms—especially the potential pathways linking GLP-1 signaling to hormonal and metabolic regulation in cancer development. Randomized trials with extended follow-up or mechanistic studies could help clarify causality.
Additional large-scale real-world data studies with the appropriate long-term follow-up, data engineering, rigorous methods, and leveraging more advanced methods including causal AI, looking into heterogeneous treatment effects across subgroups.
Citation: Dai H, Li Y, Lee YA, et al. GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Cancer Risk in Adults With Obesity. JAMA Oncol. 2025;11(10):1186–1193. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.2681
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2837870
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Last Updated on November 2, 2025 by Marie Benz MD FAAD
