Obesity weight loss drugs investigated for potential cancer risk reduction

Medical experts are investigating whether pharmacological treatments for obesity, specifically GLP-1 receptor agonists, could potentially reduce cancer risk. Obesity is currently identified as the second most significant modifiable risk factor for cancer, following smoking. It is estimated that approximately 4% to 8% of all global cancer cases can be attributed to excess body fat.

Excess adipose tissue is linked to at least 13 different types of cancer, including esophageal adenocarcinoma, breast, colorectal, endometrial, stomach, gallbladder, kidney, ovarian, pancreatic, and liver cancers, as well as multiple myeloma. The biological connection involves hyperinsulinemia, activation of the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) axis, increased aromatase activity in fatty tissue leading to higher estrogen exposure, and chronic low-grade inflammation.

Researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Alexandra Hospital, including Professors Theodora Psaltopoulou, Maria Kaparelou, and Thanos Dimopoulos, are examining if GLP-1 receptor agonists can influence cancer risk by improving metabolic profiles and facilitating weight loss.