Cancer ResearchGLP-1 Drugs Cut Liver Cancer Recurrence 20% After Surgery in Diabetic Patients
A new study from 36 Chinese hospitals examined whether the choice of diabetes medication after liver cancer surgery affects survival. Among 1,249 patients with type 2 diabetes who had curative liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), those who started a GLP-1 receptor agonist within 90 days of surgery had significantly better outcomes than those who started a DPP-4 inhibitor. GLP-1RA users had a 20% lower risk of cancer recurrence and a striking 42% lower risk of death. These findings, published in Gut, suggest that the specific diabetes drug chosen after HCC surgery may meaningfully influence long-term cancer outcomes, and that GLP-1 receptor agonists may offer anti-tumor benefits beyond blood sugar control.
