Cancer

Study: Weight-Loss Drugs Can Reduce Risk of Cancer

MAY 12 2025·Updated MAY 13 2025

Story

Above: A customs investigator holds a package of Ozempic (weight loss syringe) during the presentation of seized doping agents, drugs, and assets in Hamburg, Germany on April 17, 2025. Image credit: Marcus Brandt/Contributor/picture alliance via Getty Images

The Facts

A study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga has revealed that weight-loss injections, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, could reduce obesity-related cancer risk by up to 41% more effectively than bariatric surgery.
The Telegraph
Guardian
The Times (UK)
Researchers from Israel analyzed data from 6,356 adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes and compared cancer outcomes of those who received weight-loss jabs and those who underwent bariatric surgery over a 7.5-year follow-up period.
The Standard
Independent
The study found 298 patients developed obesity-related cancers, with similar rates between surgical patients (150 cases) and those taking GLP-1 medications (148), suggesting the drugs' protective effects extend beyond weight loss.
The Standard
Independent
Scientists believe the anti-cancer properties stem from the medications' ability to reduce inflammation in the body, as newer generation GLP-1 drugs potentially offer even greater benefits in cancer prevention.
The Telegraph
Guardian
A team at the University of Manchester, funded by Cancer Research UK, is planning a large-scale clinical trial involving tens of thousands of patients to further investigate the cancer-prevention potential of these medications.
Daily Mirror
Daily Mail
This comes after a new study published by scientists from the University of Bern found that weight-loss jabs like Ozempic and Wegovy may be effective at treating mental health issues in addition to curbing patients' appetites.
The Telegraph
Daily Mirror

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

A medical triumph emerges as GLP-1 drugs, beyond their celebrated weight-loss powers, appear to slash cancer risk across ten obesity-linked malignancies. This dual-action wonder transforms our cancer prevention paradigm by potentially fighting tumors through multiple pathways, including inflammation reduction. The next generation of these medications promises even greater protective potential — a watershed moment in metabolic oncology.

The Conversation

LBC

Narrative B

Beneath the alluring promise of pharmaceutical weight loss lurks a shadowy reality: these "miracle" injections have been linked to devastating complications, including multiple organ failure, pancreatitis, and even death. Beyond their immediate gastrointestinal assault, these drugs cast a longer shadow — potential thyroid cancer risks and chronic health conditions haunt their use, challenging our rush toward quick-fix solutions for complex metabolic problems.