PRESENTED at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting, new research suggests that GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may significantly lower the risk of pancreatic cancer in drug-naive patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared to other antidiabetic treatments. Given that T2D itself is a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer, the findings open new doors for understanding the cancer prevention potential of diabetes drugs.
Researchers analysed over 4.95 million electronic health records of patients with T2D from the TriNetX database, focusing on 245,532 patients who began GLP-1RAs as their first diabetes medication. By comparing these patients to those using other diabetes drugs, including insulin, metformin, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT2 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, and thiazolidinediones, the study investigated the incidence of pancreatic cancer over 15 years. Patients were matched based on factors like age, medical history, and lifestyle.
The authors found that patients on GLP-1RAs had a significantly lower risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to those on insulin (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.56), DPP-4 inhibitors (HR: 0.80), SGLT2 inhibitors (HR: 0.78), and sulfonylureas (HR: 0.84). This translates to a roughly 44% lower risk when using GLP-1RAs instead of insulin and a 20–22% lower risk compared to several other drug classes.
The cancer-preventative effect of GLP-1RAs was observed in both obese and non-obese patients with T2D. Among those with obesity, GLP-1RA users demonstrated a 47% reduced risk of pancreatic cancer versus insulin users, and a 19% lower risk compared to those taking SGLT2 inhibitors.
These findings suggest that GLP-1RAs may offer a promising option for T2D patients concerned about cancer risk, especially those who are drug-naive. However, further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms underlying this potential benefit. If validated, GLP-1RAs could shift the landscape of diabetes management with an added advantage in cancer prevention.
Reference
Alchirazi KA et al. GLP-1 receptor agonists and pancreatic cancer risk in drug-naive patients with type 2 diabetes. ACG 2024 Annual Meeting, 25-30 October, 2024.
