Editors' Selections from Relevant Scientific Publications

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are type 2 diabetes drugs that can induce considerable weight loss, and this effect may be associated with protection against colorectal cancer. Given that overweight individuals are at heightened risk of developing such malignancies, Wang et al. performed a retrospective analysis of more than 1.2 million diabetes patients to assess the impact of GLP-1 agonists relative to other therapies. They found that overweight diabetic patients taking GLP-1 agonists were significantly less likely to develop colorectal cancer within 15 years of starting treatment, with roughly 50% risk reduction compared to insulin or metformin. A similar pattern was also seen in the larger cohort—although the difference between drugs was not always statistically significant—suggesting that this effect is not exclusively associated with weight loss.

Wang L, … Berger NA. JAMA Oncol. 2023 Dec 7:e235573.