GLP-1 Use Linked to Improved Survival and Fewer Complications in patients with Diabetes and Cancer: Study

Written By : Dr. Shravani Dali Published On 2026-01-12T08:45:09+05:30 | Updated On 12 Jan 2026 8:45 AM IST

Researchers have found in a new study that adults with type 2 diabetes and cancer who used GLP-1 receptor agonists had a lower risk of death compared with those using metformin. GLP-1 use was also associated with reduced risks of hospitalization, pneumonia, cardiovascular events, and sepsis, according to findings published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

GLP- 1 RA have been reported to decrease cancer incidence, but less is known about their potential in patients with active cancer. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that GLP-1 RA inhibit progression of solid tumor malignancies via downregulation of cellular proliferation pathways and improved glycemic control. Despite these promising findings, studies characterizing the effects of GLP-1 RA in patients with active cancer are limited.

Using TriNetX, a global database comprising over 120 million patients, we identified an overall cohort of 3747 patients with type 2 diabetes who received GLP-1 RA within 3 months of starting systemic therapy and identified 52,061 patients receiving metformin in the same timeframe as a control cohort. Additional sub-analyses stratified patients by hemoglobin A1c range, obesity, and by participants “newly started” on their first instance of GLP-1 RA within 3 months of starting cancer treatment. Results: Patients receiving GLP-1 RA had significantly reduced mortality in both the overall monotherapy setting (HR: 0.875, 95% CI: (0.778-0.985), p=0.0268) and the new start setting (HR: 0.786 , 95% CI: (0.662-0.934), p= 0.0062) cohorts. Secondary analyses found lower rates of all-cause hospitalization, sepsis, major adverse cardiovascular events, pulmonary embolism, and pneumonia in patients on GLP-1 RA. Sub-analyses stratified by BMI and A1c did not meet statistical significance.

Patients with diabetes and cancer who received GLP-1 RA experienced superior survival outcomes and reduced rates of hospitalization compared to patients receiving metformin. Additionally, patients already on metformin and newly started on GLP-1 RA demonstrated superior survival outcomes compared to patients newly started on insulin. Further prospective, well-controlled studies are needed to evaluate the benefits of GLP-1 RA in patients with diabetes and cancer.

Reference:

Aditya Mahadevan, Aidan Vosooghi, Jagmeet S Arora, Ruthvik Sunil Kumar, Gagandeep Singh, Katy K Tsai, Zoe Quandt, GLP- 1 Receptor Agonists in Patients with Cancer are Associated with Reduced All-Cause Mortality and Hospitalization, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2026;, dgaf703, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaf703

Keywords:

GLP-1RA, cancer, survival, tirzepatide, semaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, dulaglutide, Aditya Mahadevan, Aidan Vosooghi, Jagmeet S Arora, Ruthvik Sunil Kumar, Gagandeep Singh, Katy K Tsai, Zoe Quandt, GLP- 1 Receptor Agonists

Source : The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism

Dr. Shravani Dali

Dr. Shravani Dali has completed her BDS from Pravara institute of medical sciences, loni. Following which she extensively worked in the healthcare sector for 2+ years. She has been actively involved in writing blogs in field of health and wellness. Currently she is pursuing her Masters of public health-health administration from Tata institute of social sciences. She can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.