SynthesisEndocrinology and metabolism (Seoul, Korea)2025

Tirzepatide and Cancer Risk in Individuals with and without Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

A B M Kamrul-Hasan, Muhammad Shah Alam, Deep Dutta, Thanikai Sasikanth, Fatema Tuz Zahura Aalpona, Lakshmi Nagendra

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Endocrinology and metabolism (Seoul, Korea), 2025. The graph read 1 number from its abstract, feeding 1 cell of the map: it finds no clear difference in 1. Cited by 13 papers.

1number the graph read from it
1cell of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
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.

← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
0.51 · no effect
Adverse events & safetyno clear difference · against placebo · t2dfeeds one cell of the map
RR 0.780.53 to 1.16P=0.22
Over 26 to 72 weeks, the tirzepatide and pooled control groups had identical risks of any cancer (risk ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.53 to 1.16; P=0.22).

clause the extractor read what became the number

2 · Its place on the map

Where it lands on the map

Rows are treatments, columns are outcomes. The coloured squares are the cells this paper feeds, coloured by the vote it casts there. Click one to jump to what this paper adds to it.

supports the treatmentfavours the comparatorno clear differenceread, but no usable result
3 · What it changes

What it adds to each cell

For every cell the paper feeds: the belief in the claim with and without this paper, and this paper's estimate drawn against every other readable study in the cell. The ringed dot is this paper.

GIP/GLP-1 & amylin agonists×adverse events & safety

InconclusiveOpen on the map →What to test next →

4 readable studies in this cell: 2 favour the treatment, 2 find no difference, 0 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.00contested · 0 families support, 3 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
0 · no effect
NCT0498257592 enrolled · 2021
Δ -0.30-0.79 to 0.19
NCT0408133755 enrolled · 2020
Δ -0.03-0.05 to -0.02
NCT0405055342 enrolled · 2020
Δ -0.89-4.10 to 2.33

This paper's own estimate is on a different scale from the rest of the cell, so it is not drawn here.

4 · 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.

5 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Observational
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. GLP-1 receptor agonists in the context of cancer: the road ahead.American journal of physiology. Cell physiology · 2025 · on this map
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Review
6 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

7 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

A B M Kamrul-HasanDepartment of Endocrinology, Mymensingh Medical College, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
Muhammad Shah AlamDepartment of Medicine, Army Medical College Cumilla, Cumilla, Bangladesh.
Deep DuttaDepartment of Endocrinology, CEDAR Superspeciality Clinics, New Delhi, India.
Thanikai SasikanthDepartment of Endocrinology, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Fatema Tuz Zahura AalponaDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Atpara Upazila Health Complex, Netrokona, Bangladesh.
Lakshmi NagendraDepartment of Endocrinology, JSS Medical College, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysore, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

8 · The paper itself

Abstract

The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.

backgruoundData on the carcinogenic potential of tirzepatide from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are limited. Furthermore, no meta-analysis has included all relevant RCTs to assess the cancer risk associated with tirzepatide.

methodsRCTs involving patients receiving tirzepatide in the intervention arm and either a placebo or any active comparator in the control arm were searched through electronic databases. The primary outcome was the overall risk of any cancer, and secondary outcomes were the risks of specific types of cancer in the tirzepatide versus the control groups.

resultsThirteen RCTs with 13,761 participants were analyzed. Over 26 to 72 weeks, the tirzepatide and pooled control groups had identical risks of any cancer (risk ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.53 to 1.16; P=0.22). The two groups had comparable cancer risks in patients with and without diabetes. In subgroup analyses, the risks were also similar in the tirzepatide versus placebo, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist groups. The overall cancer risk was also comparable for different doses of tirzepatide compared to the control groups; only a 10-mg tirzepatide dose had a lower risk of any cancer than placebo. Furthermore, compared to the control groups (pooled or separately), tirzepatide did not increase the risk of any specific cancer types. Despite greater increments in serum calcitonin with 10- and 15-mg tirzepatide doses than with placebo, the included RCTs reported no cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

conclusionTirzepatide use in RCTs over 26 to 72 weeks did not increase overall or specific cancer risk.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsNeoplasmsTirzepatideHumansInsulinRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRisk FactorsGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsInsulinTirzepatideDiabetes mellitus, type 2Meta-analysisNeoplasmsObesityPancreatic neoplasmsThyroid neoplasmsTirzepatide

Identifiers

PMID39814031
PMCPMC11898313

What Socratic holds

Texttitle and abstract
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.