Hormonal
GLP-1 receptor agonist use during radiation therapy causes rapid weight loss and anatomic changes that compromise immobilization reproducibility and dosimetric accuracy, necessitating adaptive radiotherapy or temporary holding of the medication.
If you are taking GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic or Wegovy) while getting radiation, tell your radiation team immediately. These drugs cause weight loss and stomach changes that can make your radiation treatment less accurate. Your team may ask you to pause the drug or scan you more often to adjust the treatment plan. This is to keep you safe and ensure the radiation hits the tumor correctly.
Patients receiving GLP-1 RAs may lose 5%-6% of their total body weight in 3 months... Target motion, imaging fidelity, and body habitus are all critical to accurate treatment planning and execution, but they are all subject to GLP-1 RAs effects.
Why this rating
The paper is a commentary/proposal based on known pharmacologic properties and extrapolation from surgical/perioperative data, noting a lack of direct RT-specific clinical trials.
Source
The emerging implications of GLP-1 receptor agonists in radiation therapy
Trenton Reinicke et al. · The Oncologist · 2026
DOI 10.1093/oncolo/oyag073
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