GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may extend the lives of colon cancer patients, according to a major UC San Diego study. Patients on the medications had less than half the mortality rate of non-users. Researchers suspect the drugs’ anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects contribute to improved outcomes. They’re now calling for clinical trials to test whether these findings reflect a true anti-cancer mechanism.
FULL STORY
Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy appear to slash colon cancer mortality by more than half in a UC San Diego study. Scientists think their impact on inflammation, insulin, and metabolism could explain the powerful effect. Credit: Shutterstock
A new study from the University of California San Diego suggests that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, a class of medications originally developed for type 2 diabetes, may have benefits that extend far beyond blood sugar and weight management. These drugs, which include semaglutide (sold as Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (known as Mounjaro), are already well known for helping people lose weight and manage metabolic conditions. Now, researchers have discovered that they might also be linked to better survival outcomes in colon cancer patients.
The study analyzed medical records from more than 6,800 people diagnosed with colon cancer across University of California Health facilities. Patients who were taking GLP-1 medications were less than half as likely to die within five years compared to those not using the drugs (15.5% versus 37.1%). This striking difference points to a potentially powerful new use for drugs that are already transforming diabetes and obesity treatment.
The research was led by Raphael Cuomo, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and a member of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. His team used the University of California Health Data Warehouse to review outcomes across the state's academic medical centers.
After accounting for important factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), cancer severity, and other health conditions, the team found that people taking GLP-1 drugs still had a significantly lower risk of death. This consistency suggests the protective benefit of GLP-1 therapy may be independent of other medical or lifestyle variables.
Why GLP-1 Drugs Might Protect Against Cancer
The benefit appeared strongest in patients with obesity (BMI over 35). This finding hints that GLP-1 drugs may help offset some of the inflammation and metabolic stress that can make cancer harder to treat.
Scientists are exploring several possible explanations for this effect. GLP-1 receptor agonists are known to lower inflammation throughout the body, enhance insulin sensitivity, and promote weight loss -- all factors that can influence cancer growth and progression. Experimental studies in laboratories also indicate that GLP-1 drugs may directly inhibit the growth of tumor cells, encourage cancer cell death, and alter the surrounding environment within tumors to make them less supportive of disease spread.
However, researchers caution that it is still unclear whether the lower death rate seen in this study reflects a direct anti-cancer action or an indirect result of improved overall metabolic health.
Next Steps: Clinical Trials Needed
Dr. Cuomo emphasized that the findings are observational, meaning they do not yet prove that GLP-1 drugs directly improve cancer outcomes. These results highlight an urgent need for clinical trials to test whether GLP-1 medications can actually enhance cancer survival, particularly among patients with obesity-related cancers.
The study was published in Cancer Investigation on November 11, 2025.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of California - San Diego. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Raphael E. Cuomo. The Influence of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Five-Year Mortality in Colon Cancer Patients. Cancer Investigation, 2025; 1 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2025.2585512[1]
Cite This Page:
University of California - San Diego. "Wegovy and Ozempic tied to dramatically lower cancer deaths." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 November 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112011810.htm>.
University of California - San Diego. (2025, November 12). Wegovy and Ozempic tied to dramatically lower cancer deaths. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 12, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112011810.htm
University of California - San Diego. "Wegovy and Ozempic tied to dramatically lower cancer deaths." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112011810.htm (accessed November 12, 2025).
Sep. 21, 2025 Duke University scientists have discovered that pancreatic alpha cells, long believed to only produce glucagon, actually generate powerful amounts of GLP-1 — the same hormone mimicked by popular ...
Sep. 1, 2025 Scientists are racing to improve weight loss treatments beyond drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which are effective but plagued by nausea, bone loss, and weight regain. Tufts University chemists have ...
July 30, 2025 GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are transforming weight loss, but a new UVA study warns they're not improving a critical measure of health: cardiorespiratory fitness. While these medications help ...
Feb. 24, 2025 Diabetes and obesity have become pressing health issues worldwide. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, a class of medications widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D), ...
Jan. 23, 2025 Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are changing how millions lose weight, but they come with a hidden drawback: they can strip away muscle along with fat, sometimes making up nearly half of the ...
Oct. 7, 2024 Fatty liver disease is a growing global health concern. Proglucagon-derived peptides (PGDPs), including glucagon, GLP-1, and GLP-2, are known to regulate lipid metabolism in the liver. However, the ...
GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may extend the lives of colon cancer patients, according to a major UC San Diego study. Patients on the medications had less than half the mortality rate of non-users. Researchers suspect the drugs’ anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects contribute to improved outcomes. They’re now calling for clinical trials to test whether these findings reflect a true anti-cancer mechanism.
FULL STORY
Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy appear to slash colon cancer mortality by more than half in a UC San Diego study. Scientists think their impact on inflammation, insulin, and metabolism could explain the powerful effect. Credit: Shutterstock
A new study from the University of California San Diego suggests that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, a class of medications originally developed for type 2 diabetes, may have benefits that extend far beyond blood sugar and weight management. These drugs, which include semaglutide (sold as Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (known as Mounjaro), are already well known for helping people lose weight and manage metabolic conditions. Now, researchers have discovered that they might also be linked to better survival outcomes in colon cancer patients.
The study analyzed medical records from more than 6,800 people diagnosed with colon cancer across University of California Health facilities. Patients who were taking GLP-1 medications were less than half as likely to die within five years compared to those not using the drugs (15.5% versus 37.1%). This striking difference points to a potentially powerful new use for drugs that are already transforming diabetes and obesity treatment.
The research was led by Raphael Cuomo, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and a member of the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. His team used the University of California Health Data Warehouse to review outcomes across the state's academic medical centers.
After accounting for important factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), cancer severity, and other health conditions, the team found that people taking GLP-1 drugs still had a significantly lower risk of death. This consistency suggests the protective benefit of GLP-1 therapy may be independent of other medical or lifestyle variables.
Why GLP-1 Drugs Might Protect Against Cancer
The benefit appeared strongest in patients with obesity (BMI over 35). This finding hints that GLP-1 drugs may help offset some of the inflammation and metabolic stress that can make cancer harder to treat.
Scientists are exploring several possible explanations for this effect. GLP-1 receptor agonists are known to lower inflammation throughout the body, enhance insulin sensitivity, and promote weight loss -- all factors that can influence cancer growth and progression. Experimental studies in laboratories also indicate that GLP-1 drugs may directly inhibit the growth of tumor cells, encourage cancer cell death, and alter the surrounding environment within tumors to make them less supportive of disease spread.
However, researchers caution that it is still unclear whether the lower death rate seen in this study reflects a direct anti-cancer action or an indirect result of improved overall metabolic health.
Next Steps: Clinical Trials Needed
Dr. Cuomo emphasized that the findings are observational, meaning they do not yet prove that GLP-1 drugs directly improve cancer outcomes. These results highlight an urgent need for clinical trials to test whether GLP-1 medications can actually enhance cancer survival, particularly among patients with obesity-related cancers.
The study was published in Cancer Investigation on November 11, 2025.
Story Source:
Materials provided by University of California - San Diego. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Raphael E. Cuomo. The Influence of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Five-Year Mortality in Colon Cancer Patients. Cancer Investigation, 2025; 1 DOI: 10.1080/07357907.2025.2585512[1]
Cite This Page:
University of California - San Diego. "Wegovy and Ozempic tied to dramatically lower cancer deaths." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 November 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112011810.htm>.
University of California - San Diego. (2025, November 12). Wegovy and Ozempic tied to dramatically lower cancer deaths. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 12, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112011810.htm
University of California - San Diego. "Wegovy and Ozempic tied to dramatically lower cancer deaths." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251112011810.htm (accessed November 12, 2025).
Sep. 21, 2025 Duke University scientists have discovered that pancreatic alpha cells, long believed to only produce glucagon, actually generate powerful amounts of GLP-1 — the same hormone mimicked by popular ...
Sep. 1, 2025 Scientists are racing to improve weight loss treatments beyond drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which are effective but plagued by nausea, bone loss, and weight regain. Tufts University chemists have ...
July 30, 2025 GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are transforming weight loss, but a new UVA study warns they're not improving a critical measure of health: cardiorespiratory fitness. While these medications help ...
Feb. 24, 2025 Diabetes and obesity have become pressing health issues worldwide. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, a class of medications widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D), ...
Jan. 23, 2025 Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are changing how millions lose weight, but they come with a hidden drawback: they can strip away muscle along with fat, sometimes making up nearly half of the ...
Oct. 7, 2024 Fatty liver disease is a growing global health concern. Proglucagon-derived peptides (PGDPs), including glucagon, GLP-1, and GLP-2, are known to regulate lipid metabolism in the liver. However, the ...
