Unsupported Browser
The American College of Surgeons website is not compatible with Internet Explorer 11, IE 11. For the best experience please update your browser.
Close
Member ID
Become a Member
Open Search
Menu
ACS Home
Donate to ACS Foundation
About Us
Advocacy & Policy
Quality Programs
For Surgeons
For Patients
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
ACS Home
Donate to ACS Foundation
Quality Programs
For Surgeons
For Patients
Advocacy & Policy
About Us
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
Popular searches
Frequent searches
ACS
Literature Selections

GLP-1s May Reduce Risk for Many Cancers, But May Increase Kidney Cancer Risk

August 26, 2025

acs-store-journalperiodical.jpg

Dai H, Li Y, Lee YA, et al. GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Cancer Risk in Adults with Obesity. JAMA Onc. 2025; in press. 

Using 2014–2024 electronic health record data from the OneFlorida+ multicenter health research network, Hao Dai, from the Indiana University School of Medicine, and colleagues compared the incidence of 14 cancers among more than 43,317 obese adults taking prescribed glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and 43,315 nonusers. The majority of patients were female (68.2%), and the mean age was 52.4 years. 

The cancers observed in this retrospective study included 13 associated with obesity (liver, thyroid, pancreatic, bladder, colorectal, kidney, breast, endometrial, meningioma, upper gastrointestinal, ovarian, multiple myeloma, and prostate) and lung cancer.

The researchers found an overall 17% lower cancer risk among individuals taking GLP-1RAs compared with non-users, with the lowest risk for endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and meningioma. GLP-1RA use, however, was associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer, highlighting a need for longer-term follow-up.

Related Pages

Discharge against Medical Advice Significantly Impacts Surgical Outcomes

Listen to Drs. Varghese and Pawlik discuss increased complications, readmission, cost etc., associated with DAMA.

Become an ACS H.O.P.E. Ambassador and Join a Network Supporting Global Surgery Outreach

ACS H.O.P.E. ambassadors can serve their community in many ways—apply by August 31.

Share Multilingual Patient Brochures on Cholecystectomy, Appendectomy, and More

The ACS Patient Education Brochure series supports informed consent and risk-reduction strategies that have been highly valued by patients.

ACS Surgeons as Leaders Course Provides Tools to Lead and Succeed

The modern medical environment is complex and unpredictable, and the need for leadership has never been greater.

WATCH: General Surgeons Can Help Prevent Ovarian Cancer

Listen to Drs. Joseph Sakran and Rebecca Stone discuss how opportunistic salpingectomy can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

Register for the 2025 ACS TQIP Annual Conference in Chicago

This year's conference will focus on the importance of teams, exploring intrateam conflict resolution and more.

New Find a Hospital Tool Spotlights Centers with High-Quality Surgical Care

Surgeons and patients can easily locate hospitals that meet the ACS’s rigorous standards for surgical care. 

International Exchange in Thailand Helps Strengthen Global Surgery Community

Read Dr. Dennis Kraus's highlight from the Royal College of Surgeons of Thailand's 50th Annual Scientific Congress in Pattaya.

Read Dr. Andrew Peitzman’s 2024 Scudder Oration on Major Hepatic Injury

Dr. Peitzman's speech focused on lessons learned and pathways to improved outcomes for patients with major liver injuries.

Tissue-Based Inguinal Hernia Repairs Offer Advantages to Mesh Repairs

Researchers compared short-term pain and quality of life between the Lichtenstein technique and the tissue-based Shouldice.