Use of GLP-1 medications was associated with lower long-term mortality among patients with colorectal cancer and obesity, according to research presented at an oncology conference.
Over a 10-year period, GLP-1 drugs were associated with about 5.6 fewer deaths per 100 patients with colorectal cancer and obesity compared to those who did not take a GLP-1, according to research presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, held Jan. 8-10 in San Francisco.
Researchers used the TriNetX database to identify adults with colorectal cancer and obesity treated between January 2000 and December 2023. The study analyzed 10-year, all-cause mortality among about 2,000 patients who received a GLP-1 medication and about 2,000 who did not.
Between the two cohorts, the study found a 5.57% difference in absolute risk reduction in all-cause mortality, with GLP-1 use associated with the reduced mortality risk and no observed metastatic risk.
A growing body of research has identified an association between GLP-1 use and improved clinical outcomes in several cancers, including colon cancer.
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