Women who take GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic or Mounjaro, are less likely to develop breast cancer, a new study has found.
The findings, presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, come from an analysis of more than 110,000 women aged between 45 and 80.
“GLP-1 medications are intriguing from a cancer research perspective because they weren’t designed for cancer therapy, but they do affect many different targets and pathways associated with cancer development, so we’re eager to study them in this context,” said Elizabeth McDonald, professor of radiology in the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and breast radiologist.
The study found that women who had used GLP-1 medications were around 30% less likely to develop breast cancer, independent of age, race, ethnicity, BMI, breast density and diabetes.
“There is extensive evidence that weight influences breast cancer risk and that lifestyle modification, including weight loss, can reduce this risk,” the authors wrote.
