Hormonal
GLP-1 receptor agonists (specifically liraglutide and exendin-4) inhibit cancer progression and proliferation in various malignancies (breast, prostate, pancreatic, ovarian, colon, liver) through mechanisms including apoptosis induction, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of signaling pathways like PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK.
This paper highlights that while semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) has mixed signals regarding cancer risk in humans, other GLP-1 agonists like liraglutide and exendin-4 have demonstrated anti-cancer effects in laboratory and animal studies. For patients, this underscores the importance of discussing specific drug risks with a doctor, especially those with a history of cancer, as the effect is not uniform across all drugs in this class.
GLP-1R agonists exhibit protective and regulatory effects on blood glucose levels but have been linked to the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation in most cancer cases, as seen in vitro and summarized in Table 1... Both liraglutide and exendin-4 decrease the size, weight, and proliferation of pancreatic, breast, prostate, ovarian, intestinal, liver, and colon cancer.
Why this rating
Evidence is derived from in vitro and in vivo animal studies; the paper explicitly notes a lack of in vivo studies for semaglutide and calls for more research.
Source
The effect of GLP-1R agonists on the medical triad of obesity, diabetes, and cancer
Shahad Sabaawi Ibrahim et al. · Cancer and Metastasis Reviews · 2024
DOI 10.1007/s10555-024-10192-9
Related findings · Hormonal
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