GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic May Lower Breast Cancer Risk By About 30%

Follow Drugslib on

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com

via HealthDay

WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2026 — Taking Ozempic or Zepbound might lower a woman’s risk of breast cancer, a new study says.

Women with excess weight taking GLP-1 drugs were about 30% less likely to develop breast cancer than those not taking such medications, researchers reported June 2 in the journal JCO Oncology Practice.

“While our study was observational and does not definitively confirm an association between GLP-1 medications and reduced breast cancer incidence, it does add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that it’s worth investigating these weight-loss drugs as potential cancer prevention tools,” lead researcher Dr. Elizabeth McDonald said in a news release. She’s a professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which helps control insulin and blood sugar levels, decreases appetite and slows digestion of food. Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, the drugs now are also widely used to lose weight.

For the new study, researchers analyzed health records of nearly 112,000 women ages 45 to 80 with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or above, the threshold for overweight. BMI is an estimate of body fat based on height and weight. All the women had breast imaging at Penn Medicine between January 2022 and June 2025.

Of those women, nearly 14% had been prescribed a GLP-1 drug, researchers said.

Women on GLP-1 drugs had a roughly 35% lower risk of breast cancer when compared to the entire group, results showed.

To verify these results, researchers then matched each of the more than 15,000 women on a GLP-1 drug with another woman who had a similar background. In this comparison, those taking GLP-1 meds had nearly 31% lower odds of breast cancer.

There are a couple of ways GLP-1 drugs might reduce breast cancer risk, according to researchers:

  • Excess weight is a known risk factor for breast cancer, particularly after menopause. By helping women lose weight, the drugs might also lower their cancer risk.
  • GLP-1 drugs also are known to reduce inflammation, which might play a role in breast cancer development.
  • The meds might have other effects on metabolism and genetics that could inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

    • “Ultimately, we want to find better options to prevent breast cancer,” McDonald said. “It’s been encouraging to see the survival rates for breast cancer improve over recent decades, and we’d love to see the same gains in prevention.”

    Researchers also presented their findings Tuesday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Chicago.

    Sources

  • University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, news release, June 2, 2026

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2026-06-03 23:39

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords