United States: Carrying extra weight may increase cancer risk, and this has experts considering if treatments like Wegovy, Ozempic, or Zepbound can play a role in lowering cancer risks.
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Research on over 170,000 patients found that people with diabetes who took the studied medications had a slightly reduced risk of obesity-related cancers when compared to those who took diabetes drugs that do not cause weight loss.
Even though it does not show cause and effect, the results seem to suggest a link that deserves attention. A number of cancers, over a dozen in fact, have been linked to obesity.
According to Dr. Ernest Hawk of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who was not involved in the study, “This is a call to scientists and clinical investigators to do more work in this area to really prove or disprove this,” AP News reported.
💉 Ozempic May Cut Cancer Risk in Half — Even Beyond Weight Loss
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 12, 2025
Drugs like Ozempic could slash cancer risk by 50%, according to a study by University of Manchester scientists, The Times reports.
Lead researcher Dr. Yael Wolf Sagi says these drugs may one day be used… pic.twitter.com/poaecqNMVe
The society held a news conference on the findings Thursday, and they will be a focus at its annual meeting in Chicago.
New York University medical student Lucas Mavromatis was the lead investigator on a research project recently published by the National Institutes of Health.
“Chronic disease and chronic disease prevention are some of my passions,” stated Mavromatis, who is a former research fellow with an NIH training program.
GLP-1 receptor agonists are given by injection to treat diabetes, and some are permitted for the treatment of obesity, as AP News reported.
They have effects like natural hormones in the gut and brain to control appetite and when you stop eating.
Not everyone can take them because they may experience side effects such as nausea and stomach pain.