Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31420784›Full record

SynthesisEndocrine2019

GLP-1 receptor agonists and risk of cancer in type 2 diabetes: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Chuqing Cao, Shuting Yang, Zhiguang Zhou

Abstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Endocrine, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
55citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

55 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 90 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan-2022 Update.Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists · 2022
    Guideline
  6. Article
  7. Exposure to GLP-1RA and Risk of Structural Progression in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026
    Observational
  8. Review
  9. Disproportionality analysis of semaglutide-associated bile-duct cancer: A vigibase study.Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology · 2026
    Article
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Progress and challenges in obesity pharmacotherapy: semaglutide as a milestone.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2025
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Chuqing CaoDepartment of Metabolism & Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China.
Shuting YangDepartment of Metabolism & Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China.
Zhiguang ZhouDepartment of Metabolism & Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139 Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China. zhouzhiguang@csu.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0002-0374-1838
Central South University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSome preliminary studies reported a link between GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and thyroid/pancreatic neoplasms, while its human relevance remained undetermined. The present meta-analysis was performed to collect information on cancers associated with GLP-1RAs in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

methodsMedline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science and ClinicalTrials.gov were extensively searched to identify randomized controlled trials that reported cancer events in T2DM patients treated with GLP-1RAs for at least 52 weeks, up to March 18, 2019. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was calculated for overall cancer (primary outcome), thyroid and pancreatic cancer.

resultsA total of 37 eligible trials were identified. The OR for overall cancer associated with GLP-1RAs was 1.03 (95% CI 0.95-1.12; p = 0.41) compared with comparators. Subgroup analyses showed that treatment with albiglutide was associated with a lower risk of overall cancer (OR 0.76 [95% CI 0.60-0.97]; p = 0.03), and no elevated risk of overall cancer was identified for other GLP-1RAs. No significant differences in the risks of thyroid nor pancreatic cancer were disclosed between GLP-1RAs and comparators.

conclusionsThis meta-analysis did not suggest any increased risk of cancers associated with GLP-1RAs use in T2DM. The reduction in the risk of overall cancer associated with albiglutide needs to be examined further.

Indexed as

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2HumansHypoglycemic AgentsIncidenceNeoplasmsRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRiskGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsHypoglycemic AgentsCancerGLP-1 receptor agonistsMeta-analysisRandomized controlled trialsType 2 diabetes mellitus

Identifiers

PMID31420784
OpenAlexW2969024986

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.