Who isn’t taking a GLP-1 these days? There are so many reasons for doctors to prescribe them that almost everyone could be a candidate. There also seem to be a lot of people who are able to afford the exorbitantly high co-pays associated with these drugs. They don’t bat an eye at the price and go their merry way.
Well, another reason to love GLP-1’s has just surfaced and broadened the patient population. A large study of over 800,000 US women with breast cancer, stages I, II, and III, has shown that women on a GLP-1 had a 55% reduction in cancer recurrence and a 65% reduction in deaths from all causes if, in addition to breast cancer they were diabetic. That is very compelling data.
Breast cancer mortality rates have improved overall during the past 20 years. Better follow ups, better detection, and more effective treatment protocols have brought about this result. Now, adding GLP-1’s to the picture, it appears outcomes are even better. “Breast cancer is an obesity-related cancer.” Reducing obesity and body fat reduces the risk of recurrence because estrogen production is reduced. Less estrogen means less chance of breast cancer recurrence.
The risk of dying from breast cancer was substantially reduced in patients on semaglutide for over 10 years.
In this study of 841,831 women, all had breast cancer, were from 68 US healthcare organizations, and were divided into three into three groups. They all had breast cancer, were on the GLP-1, semaglutide, and had a significant co-morbidity
GROUP 1: 1610 patients with obesity but were not diabetic
GROUP 2: 2323 patients with diabetes on insulin or Metformin
GROUP 3: 4052 patients with diabetes on SGLP2 inhibitors
All patients in each Group were on the GLP-1 semaglutide plus the treatment listed. Outcome
results of these groups were compared to patients who did not receive these combinations.
RESULTS:
Obesity group-GLP-1 was tied to a significantly lowered 10 year risk of death from all causes
Diabetes group—GLP-1 had an even greater benefit. Compared to taking insulin and
metformin, 91% lower risk of all cause mortality and a 67% lower cancer recurrence rate
SGLP2 group—GLP-1 patients compared to SGLP2 pts. were linked to a lower all cause risk
of death
This report has faced a lot of scrutiny because the results are so remarkable they are almost not believable. A reduction of breast cancer deaths by as much as 91% is hard to believe. That should compel us to recommend GLP-1’s in some form to all women, whether they have breast cancer or not.
More evaluation is suggested to clarify the results, but people who see this data and read about it, are naturally going to be curious. That increases the already unbelievable demand for semaglutide. Clarification will come eventually, but for now it sounds like we may have something that is making a difference.
References: Wilson FP. Too good to be true? GLP-1’s and Breast Cancer Survival. medscape.com 2026 May 11.
Joelving F. Can GLP-1 Drugs Improve Breast Cancer Survival? medscape.com 2026 May 14.
Tatum KL, et al. Survival and Recurrence with GLP-1RA’s in Breast Cancer JAMA Network Open 2026;9(5):e2612133. 10.1001/JAMA Network Open 2026.12133.
