Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40632592›Full record

ArticleJournal of the National Cancer Institute2025

Association between glucagon-like peptidase 1 receptor agonist and obesity-related cancer in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes: a nationwide cohort study.

Xianhua Mao, Xinrong Zhang, Linda Henry, Ka Shing Cheung, Man-Fung Yuen, Ramsey Cheung, Wai-Kay Seto, Mindie H Nguyen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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.

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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Metabolic Modulation in Cancer Care: The Potential Role of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Xianhua MaoDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0003-4050-4759
Xinrong ZhangDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-8393-8904
Linda HenryDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-7833-6124
Ka Shing CheungDepartment of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-4838-378X
Man-Fung YuenDepartment of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7985-7725
Ramsey CheungDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-0211-7013
Wai-Kay SetoDepartment of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0002-9012-313X
Mindie H NguyenDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, United States.ORCID 0000-0002-6275-4989

Funding

Stanford Center for Clinical & Translational Education and Research (Spectrum)UL1TR003142 · NCATS · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI O'HARA, RUTH M · 2019 to 2023
$45.0M
National Center for Advancing Translational Science Clinical and Translational Science UL1TR003142NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR003142NIH HHS
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEvidence regarding the effect of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1) agonist, when compared with other glucose-lowering drugs, on obesity-related cancer in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes is limited.

methodsUsing Merative Marketscan research databases, we identified all overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes aged 20-79 years who received GLP-1 agonist or other glucose-lowering drugs in the United States between January 2016 and June 2021. The primary outcome was obesity-related cancer, defined as a component of 13 cancer types.

resultsAmong 919 609 overweight or obese individuals with type 2 diabetes (mean [SD] age = 52.3 [10.9] years; female, 53.5%), 16 653 newly diagnosed with obesity-related cancer were recorded during the 2 086 526 person-years of follow-up. GLP-1 agonist users (vs other glucose-lowering drugs users) were associated with lower incidence (7.5 vs 8.1 per 1000 person-years) and risk of obesity-related cancer (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.83 to 0.91). This statistically significant association was consistent when comparing GLP-1 agonist with metformin (adjusted HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.86 to 0.95), dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (adjusted HR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.84 to 0.93), thiazolidinediones (adjusted HR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.71 to 0.99), sulfonylureas (adjusted HR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.74 to 0.88), sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitor (adjusted HR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.66 to 0.80), and insulin (adjusted HR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.65 to 0.76; all P < .05) and was strengthened with increasing weight (overweight, mild to moderate, and severe obesity: HR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.81 to 1.10, vs HR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.84 to 0.97, vs HR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.77 to 0.88, respectively; Pinteraction = .032).

conclusionsIn a nationwide US cohort of overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 agonist, when compared with other glucose-lowering drugs, was associated with a lower risk of obesity-related cancer, with more pronounced risk reduction with increasing body weight.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsHypoglycemic AgentsNeoplasmsObesityOverweightAdultAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedUnited StatesYoung AdultGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsHypoglycemic Agents

Identifiers

PMID40632592
PMCPMC12593220

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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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.