GLP-1 Drugs, Surgery Equally Effective against Some Cancers Free

According to a retrospective study of more than 6,000 people with obesity and diabetes, those receiving glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs just as likely to develop obesity-related cancers as those who underwent bariatric surgery (EClinicalMedicine 2025 May 11 [Epub]). The study evaluated the incidence of 13 obesity-related cancers, including multiple myeloma, meningioma, and colorectal and pancreatic cancers, and participants were followed for a median of 7.5 years. Obesity-related cancers occurred in 5.6 patients per 1,000 person-years in patients who had bariatric surgery and in 5.9 patients per 1,000 person-years in patients who received first-generation GLP-1 drugs, primarily liraglutide.