People with obesity who take weight loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro could face a lower risk of cancer compared to those with obesity who do not.
Looking at 14 cancers, of which 13 were associated with obesity, scientists discovered people taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) -- the official name for the class of drugs -- had a small reduction in risk of any of the cancers.
The risk was most strongly reduced for endometrial, meningioma and ovarian cancers, according to the study.
However, the researcher's analysis also revealed there was some evidence of an increased risk of kidney cancer among the GLP-1RA group.
More than 2 in 5 adults (42.4 percent) are considered obese in the U.S., while nearly 1 in 3 adults (30.7 percent) are overweight. GLP-1RAs, meanwhile, have soared in popularity as a promising intervention for obesity amid the rising burden of the chronic disease, its associated illnesses and healthcare costs.
While many of these medications contain the same ingredient under a different brand name, the drugs are licensed in different ways. In the U.S. Ozempic, for example, is approved for use in people with type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is approved for those with obesity or who are overweight and have related health problems.
While some research has suggested cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1RAs, for example, other studies have indicated an increased risk of pancreatitis.
"This study is among the first to examine the association between GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) use and cancer risk in a broad real-world population of overweight and obese adults, regardless of type 2 diabetes status. Previous studies mainly focused on patients with type 2 diabetes," study authors Jiang Bian of Indiana University Dr. Serena Jingchuan Guo of University of Florida told Newsweek.
In their work, the team matched more than 40,000 adults with obesity or who were overweight using GLP-1RAs with more than 40,000 non-users with obesity or who were overweight -- and monitored both groups for cancer diagnoses over 10 years.
Participants came from the OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Network, which spans 14 healthcare organizations and 20 million individuals across Alabama, Florida and Georgia.
The incidence rate of "overall" cancers was 20.5 per 1,000 person-years for GLP-1RA users, compared to 23.6 per 1,000 person-years for non-users, Bian and Jingchuan explained.
There was about a 17 percent relative reduction in overall cancer risk.
For those using GLP-1RAs, there was about a 25 percent risk reduction of endometrial cancer, about a 47 percent risk reduction of ovarian cancer and around a 31 percent risk reduction of meningioma.
The study also suggested there was a 38 percent increased risk of kidney cancer, though the result was only "borderline significant" according to Bian and Dr. Jingchuan. The risk was particularly higher in younger patients below the age of 65.
The 13 obesity-associated cancers looked at included bladder, breast, colorectal, endometrial, kidney, liver, meningioma, multiple myeloma, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, thyroid and upper gastrointestinal. The team also looked at lung cancer.
Bian and Jingchuan explained that there are three ways these findings could be used to help patients with obesity and prevent certain types of cancer.
"This retrospective cohort study found that taking GLP-1RAs was associated with a reduced overall risk of cancer, including lower risks of endometrial, ovarian, and meningioma cancers, among patients with obesity or overweight," the team explained in their paper.
"However, taking GLP-1RAs may be associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer, highlighting the need for longer-term follow-up to clarify the underlying mechanisms and clinical implications of these findings."
As well as larger, long-term studies to confirm the cancer-protective effects, especially for rarer cancers, further research will include mechanistic studies clarifying biological pathways (weight loss vs. drug effects vs. glycemic control) and identifying patient subgroups (via machine learning) most likely to benefit -- or be harmed -- by GLP-1RA therapy.
GLP-1RAs are most effective for long-term obesity treatment and management when delivered alongside behavior and lifestyle support.
Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about GLP-1RA drugs? Let us know via [email protected].
Dai, H., Li, Y., Lee, Y. A., Lu, Y., George, T. J., Donahoo, W. T., Lee, K. P., Nakshatri, H., Allen, J., Guo, Y., Sun, R. C., Guo, J., & Bian, J. (2025). GLP-1 receptor agonists and cancer risk in adults with obesity. JAMA Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.2681