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| (The Washington Post illustration; iStock) | | The story of GLP-1 drugs keeps getting bigger. First they transformed the treatment of diabetes. Then they upended the science — and culture — of weight loss. Now a growing body of research is raising another possibility: that these drugs may help protect against cancer. At this year’s American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in Chicago, more than 40 studies, abstracts, oral presentations and poster presentations examined the relationship between GLP-1-based drugs and cancer. The results were strikingly consistent. Taken together, they suggest that people taking medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro may develop certain cancers at lower rates than comparable patients who are not taking the drugs — and that those already diagnosed may experience a slower decline and better outcomes. For oncologists, the accumulation of evidence is hard to dismiss. The findings are “super promising,” said Mark Orland, a cancer researcher at the Cleveland Clinic. “We’re really excited to be on the forefront of looking at the effects of these drugs.” | |
