Popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may help slow the spread of some cancers, according to new research from the Cleveland Clinic.
The study, set to be presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago, examined over 12,000 patients with obesity-related cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, and liver cancer.
Half of the patients began taking a GLP-1 drug after diagnosis; the other half took a different diabetes medication class.
GLP-1 users showed significantly lower progression to stage 4 disease for four cancer types. The biggest risk reduction was for non-small cell lung cancer at 50%, followed by breast cancer at 43%, liver cancer at 38%, and colorectal cancer at 31%.
The study also found that tumors with higher levels of GLP-1 receptors were linked to better survival outcomes. Researchers caution the findings are preliminary and not yet peer-reviewed, but they provide early evidence that GLP-1 pathways may directly influence cancer growth and spread.