GLP-1 Drugs May Protect Against Cancer— Here’s What That Means For Public Health

InnovationHealthcareGLP-1 Drugs May Protect Against Cancer— Here’s What That Means For Public HealthByOmer Awan,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Omer Awan is a practicing physician who covers public health.Follow AuthorJun 13, 2026, 09:18am EDTPhoto Illustration of the new Wegovy semaglutide tablets with injectable prescription weight loss medicines, Ozempic, Victoza and Wegovy. Its a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and physical activity. (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesGLP-1 weight loss medications can decrease the risk of developing cancer, according to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The observational study looked at over 200,000 mammograms of women between the ages of 45 and 80 to assess breast cancer detection. Those that took GLP-1 medications were 30% less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women that didn’t take the drugs.These drugs have been shown not only to decrease the risk of development of cancer, but also decrease progression of known cancers. In another recent study examining over 10,000 patients with early stage cancer, GLP-1 drugs reduced the progression of cancer to a more advanced stage across six different tumors, including colon, breast, liver and lung cancer. For example, the incidence of progression to stage IV lung cancer was 22.3% for patients not taking a GLP-1 drug compared to 10% for those taking a GLP-1 medication.Although much more research is needed to prove a direct causal relationship between GLP-1 drugs and cancer reduction, the findings offer promise as a potential public health tool for cancer risk. Here are the public health implications for these new research findings.Cancer Risk ReductionCancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States, according to the CDC. Obesity is linked to at least 13 different cancers,...