A new study from the University of California analyzed electronic health records for 6,871 people with colon cancer to explore whether GLP‑1 medicines (commonly used for diabetes and weight loss) were linked to better survival over five years.
Researchers compared patients who had at least one prescription for a GLP‑1 drug after their cancer diagnosis with those who never received these medicines, and used statistical methods to adjust for differences such as age, BMI, cancer severity, and other health conditions. They found that people taking GLP‑1 drugs were less than half as likely to die within five years as non‑users, with the strongest signal in patients with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 35), suggesting that improving weight, blood sugar, and inflammation may contribute to better outcomes — though clinical trials are still needed to confirm whether GLP‑1 drugs directly improve colon cancer survival.
While this type of study cannot prove cause and effect, it adds to growing evidence that GLP‑1 medicines may have positive effects beyond blood sugar and weight control, and supports the need for clinical trials to test whether these drugs could one day be used alongside standard colon cancer treatments.
Reference
Cuomo RE. The Influence of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Five-Year Mortality in Colon Cancer Patients. Cancer Invest. 2025 Nov 11:1-10.
