GLP-1 RAs don’t appear to increase thyroid cancer risk

According to an observational study, GLP-1 RAs aren’t associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer during a follow-up ranging from 1.8 to 3.0 years.

Study details: This international multisite cohort study examined the association between GLP-1 RAs and DPP-4 inhibitors and the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with T2DM. Data were collected from six population-based databases and included 92,497 users of GLP-1 RAs and 2,484,408 users of DPP-4 inhibitors with a median follow-up of 1.8 to 3.0 years.

Results: GLP-1 RA use wasn’t associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer (pooled weighted hazard ratio [HR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-1.12) compared with use of DPP-4 inhibitors. Additionally, an increased risk wasn’t observed with higher cumulative doses of GLP-1 RAs.

Source:

Baxter SM, et al. (2025, January 8). Thyroid. Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists and Risk of Thyroid Cancer: An International Multisite Cohort Study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39772758/