Taiwan University Study Finds GLP-1 Weight‑Loss Drugs Cut Obesity‑Related Cancer Risk by 41%

Researchers at National Taiwan University Hospital analyzed more than 160,000 non‑diabetic obese adults using the U.S. TriNetX electronic health‑record database. By applying propensity‑score matching and inverse‑probability weighting, they compared patients treated with GLP‑1 receptor agonists (such as semaglutide or tirzepatide) to those receiving only diet and exercise advice. Over an average two‑year follow‑up, the GLP‑1 group showed a 41% lower overall risk of developing 13 obesity‑associated cancers (hazard ratio 0.59). The risk reduction was consistent across sexes, body‑mass‑index categories, and between the two drugs studied.

The findings were published in the peer‑reviewed journal Annals of Oncology. Lead investigators, including Dr. Hsu Heng‑Cheng and Dr. Jiang Ying‑Cheng, emphasized that the results are observational and require prospective trials before any change in clinical indication. Nonetheless, the study suggests that GLP‑1 agonists may offer a dual benefit of weight loss and cancer prevention for high‑risk obese individuals.