Ozempic and comparable weight-loss medicine have been linked to a hanging 30% discount in breast most cancers danger in a research of greater than 110,000 girls.
Common weight-loss and diabetes drugs equivalent to Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound might supply an sudden profit past serving to folks drop pounds. A big new research discovered that girls taking these medicine have been considerably much less more likely to develop breast most cancers than girls who weren’t utilizing them.
The analysis, offered on the 2026 American Society of Medical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Assembly and revealed in JCO Oncology Apply, analyzed well being data from greater than 110,000 girls. Researchers discovered that girls taking GLP-1 drugs, a category of medicine that features semaglutide (the energetic ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) and comparable remedies, had a few 30% decrease danger of creating breast most cancers.
“Whereas our research was observational and doesn’t definitively affirm an affiliation between GLP-1 drugs and lowered breast most cancers incidence, it does add to the rising physique of proof suggesting that it is price investigating these weight-loss medicine as potential most cancers prevention instruments,” stated Elizabeth McDonald, MD, PhD, a professor of Radiology on the College of Pennsylvania Perelman Faculty of Drugs and a practising breast radiologist at Penn’s Abramson Most cancers Heart.
Ozempic and Comparable Medicine Draw Curiosity From Most cancers Researchers
GLP-1 drugs mimic a naturally occurring hormone known as glucagon-like peptide-1, which helps regulate blood sugar and urge for food. Medicine on this class have been initially developed for sort 2 diabetes however have turn into family names due to their effectiveness for weight reduction.
Ozempic and Wegovy comprise semaglutide, whereas Mounjaro and Zepbound use a associated remedy known as tirzepatide. Collectively, these medicine are actually utilized by thousands and thousands of People.
Researchers have more and more turn into focused on whether or not these drugs may additionally have an effect on most cancers danger. A number of current observational research have linked GLP-1 medicine to decrease charges of sure cancers or improved outcomes amongst most cancers survivors. Nevertheless, researchers stress that potential medical trials, thought of the gold normal of medical analysis, are nonetheless wanted.
McDonald and her colleagues are at the moment working to launch a multisite medical trial to find out whether or not GLP-1 drugs may help forestall breast most cancers in girls at elevated danger, together with some with a historical past of the illness.
“GLP-1 drugs are intriguing from a most cancers analysis perspective as a result of they weren’t designed for most cancers remedy, however they do have an effect on many various targets and pathways related to most cancers growth, so we’re keen to review them on this context,” McDonald stated.
Examine of Extra Than 110,000 Ladies Finds Decrease Breast Most cancers Charges
The researchers examined digital well being data from 111,646 girls between the ages of 45 and 80 who had a physique mass index (BMI) of 25 or larger and underwent breast imaging via Penn Drugs between January 2022 and June 2025.
Amongst these girls, 15,264 (13.7 p.c) had documented prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs, whereas 96,382 (86.3 p.c) had no documented publicity to the medicine.
The crew appeared for brand spanking new breast most cancers diagnoses in two teams. The primary included all the research inhabitants. The second included a smaller matched cohort of 30,528 girls. In that evaluation, every girl taking a GLP-1 drug was paired with a nonuser who shared comparable traits, together with age, race, ethnicity, BMI, breast density, and diabetes standing.
The findings have been constant throughout each teams. Within the full research inhabitants, GLP-1 customers had 35.1 p.c decrease odds of creating breast most cancers. Within the matched evaluation, the discount was 30.5 p.c.
The research didn’t account for the particular sort of GLP-1 remedy used, how lengthy individuals took the medicine, inherited genetic danger elements, or the stage and sort of most cancers identified. Researchers plan extra analyses to discover a few of these questions.
Why Would possibly Ozempic and Different GLP-1 Medicine Have an effect on Most cancers Threat?
Sustaining a wholesome weight has lengthy been thought of an vital a part of breast most cancers prevention as a result of extra physique weight, particularly after menopause, is a well-established danger issue.
As a result of Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound can produce substantial weight reduction, a number of the noticed profit could also be linked to improved weight administration. Nevertheless, researchers consider different organic results is also concerned.
Scientists have lengthy suspected that continual low-grade irritation contributes to most cancers growth. GLP-1 drugs cut back irritation via a number of pathways and likewise affect metabolism and epigenetic processes that assist regulate gene exercise. Researchers at the moment consider this mixture of results might assist gradual or forestall tumor formation.
Trying to find Higher Methods to Stop Breast Most cancers
Present choices for decreasing breast most cancers danger stay restricted.
Past common screening with mammography or MRI, some folks with inherited genetic mutations that tremendously enhance breast most cancers danger select preventive surgical procedure, together with prophylactic mastectomy.
Tamoxifen can considerably cut back breast most cancers incidence in high-risk girls, however issues about unwanted effects have restricted its use amongst many eligible sufferers.
As a result of GLP-1 drugs equivalent to Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound are already broadly prescribed, researchers see them as a probably promising avenue for future most cancers prevention analysis.
“In the end, we wish to discover higher choices to stop breast most cancers,” McDonald stated. “It has been encouraging to see the survival charges for breast most cancers enhance over current a long time, and we would like to see the identical beneficial properties in prevention.”
Reference: “GLP-1 Agonists Are Related With a Vital Discount in Breast Most cancers Incidence in Ladies” by Elizabeth S. McDonald, Laura B. Gillis, Peter Gabriel, Kham Xapakdy, Anthony Younger, Abigail Doucette, Mitchell D. Schnall, John B. Buse and Etta D. Pisano, 2 June 2026, JCO Oncology Apply.
DOI: 10.1200/OP-26-00485
The research was supported by the American Faculty of Radiology Heart for Analysis and Innovation, the Pennsylvania Breast Most cancers Coalition, and the Abramson Most cancers Heart.
