GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Therapy in Patients with Cancer: A Review of Clinical Outcomes
5 affiliations
- 12nd Department, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 3Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 4Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- 5Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are increasingly used for the management of obesity and type 2 diabetes, including among patients with cancer. Although previous research has mainly focused on cancer incidence, their associations with clinical outcomes after cancer diagnosis remain less well characterized. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the oncologic and survival outcomes associated with GLP-1 RA use in adults with an established malignancy. We performed a systematic review of comparative studies evaluating GLP-1 RA use in patients with a confirmed cancer diagnosis. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for English-language publications from 1 January 2016 to 8 August 2026. Twenty-six retrospective cohort studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Thirteen studies included selective GLP-1 RAs and tirzepatide within the same exposure group. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Twenty-five studies evaluated overall survival and/or all-cause mortality, while nine assessed cancer recurrence, progression, or related outcomes. Survival and mortality outcomes more often favored the exposed group (especially compared with nonuse) than not, but findings were less consistent in active-comparator analyses. Evidence for recurrence and progression was sparse and heterogeneous, and no clear signal of increased risk was observed. Because all of these were observational studies with substantial differences in populations, comparators, exposure definitions, and duration of follow-up, the survival associations do not imply causality or direct antitumor effects of GLP-1 RAs. Clinically, the preponderance of evidence does not support the use of GLP-1 RAs as cancer-directed therapy, and their use in patients with cancer should be guided by established indications such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Potential explanations include effects on glycemic and cardiovascular risk factors, treatment selection, residual confounding, or combinations thereof. Prospective studies and randomized controlled trials with cancer-specific outcomes and longer follow-up are needed to further evaluate these associations.
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BibTeX
@article{andronescu2026glp1,
title = {{GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Therapy in Patients with Cancer: A Review of Clinical Outcomes}},
author = {Alexandra Cătălina Andronescu and Lorena Ciumărnean and Olga Hilda Orășan and Angela Cozma and Nicoleta Valentina Leah and Roxana Liana Lucaciu and Adriana Corina Hangan and Lucia Maria Procopciuc},
journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/ijms27209251},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9251},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Therapy in Patients with Cancer: A Review of Clinical Outcomes
AU - Alexandra Cătălina Andronescu
AU - Lorena Ciumărnean
AU - Olga Hilda Orășan
AU - Angela Cozma
AU - Nicoleta Valentina Leah
AU - Roxana Liana Lucaciu
AU - Adriana Corina Hangan
AU - Lucia Maria Procopciuc
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO - 10.3390/ijms27209251
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/20/9251
AB - Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are increasingly used for the management of obesity and type 2 diabetes, including among patients with cancer. Although previous research has mainly focused on cancer incidence, their associations with clinical outcomes after cancer diagnosis remain less well characterized. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the oncologic and survival outcomes associated with GLP-1 RA use in adults with an established malignancy. We performed a systematic review of comparative studies evaluating GLP-1 RA use in patients with a confirmed cancer diagnosis. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched for English-language publications from 1 January 2016 to 8 August 2026. Twenty-six retrospective cohort studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Thirteen studies included selective GLP-1 RAs and tirzepatide within the same exposure group. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Twenty-five studies evaluated overall survival and/or all-cause mortality, while nine assessed cancer recurrence, progression, or related outcomes. Survival and mortality outcomes more often favored the exposed group (especially compared with nonuse) than not, but findings were less consistent in active-comparator analyses. Evidence for recurrence and progression was sparse and heterogeneous, and no clear signal of increased risk was observed. Because all of these were observational studies with substantial differences in populations, comparators, exposure definitions, and duration of follow-up, the survival associations do not imply causality or direct antitumor effects of GLP-1 RAs. Clinically, the preponderance of evidence does not support the use of GLP-1 RAs as cancer-directed therapy, and their use in patients with cancer should be guided by established indications such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Potential explanations include effects on glycemic and cardiovascular risk factors, treatment selection, residual confounding, or combinations thereof. Prospective studies and randomized controlled trials with cancer-specific outcomes and longer follow-up are needed to further evaluate these associations.
SN - 1422-0067
ER -