Association of GLP-1 agonists with breast cancer incidence in women.

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Authors: E. Robert McDonald, Laura B. Gillis, Peter Edward Gabriel, Kham Xapakdy, Anthony J. Young, Mitchell D. Schnall, Etta Pisano
Cited by: 1

Abstract

10506 Background: Excess weight is a key modifiable risk factor for breast cancer. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1) promote weight loss and improve markers of metabolic health. However, the effect of GLP-1 on breast cancer risk among women eligible for breast cancer screening remains unclear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, time-dependent cohort study from January 1, 2022, to June 30, 2025, using electronic health records. We identified 217,025 unique patients who underwent breast imaging, restricting the sample to women aged 45 to 80 years with a BMI greater than 25 and a documented imaging outcome (n=94,827; median age 61). The primary outcome was breast cancer detection. GLP-1 use was defined as a first prescription prior to the exam date and assessed in relation to race, ethnicity, age, and type 2 diabetes. To address potential confounding between these covariates and GLP-1 exposure, we performed one-to-one, case-control matching using propensity scores based on age, race, ethnicity, highest BMI, breast density, and type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Results: Among 94,827 women, 2,314 (2.4%) were diagnosed with breast cancer during the study period, while 92,513 (97.6%) were not. Of the total, 15,107 (15.9%) had GLP-1 exposure, and 79,720 (84.1%) did not. Among those exposed to GLP-1, 249 (1.65%) developed breast cancer, while 14,858 (98.4%) did not. Among women without exposure to GLP-1, there were 2065 (2.6%) women with breast cancer and 77,655 (97.4%) of women without breast cancer. GLP-1 exposure was associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer (OR 0.630 (0.552, 0.720 ); p

Fields of Study & Subjects

Metabolism Diabetes and Cancer Cancer Risks and Factors Diabetes Treatment and Management

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Publisher
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
Volume
44
Issue
16_suppl
Pages
10506–10506
Publication date
27 May 2026
Language
EN