Weight-loss jabs could cut cancer rates by up to 42%

WEIGHT loss jabs could “herald a new era of preventative cancer medicine” by slashing the risk of obesity-related tumours, experts say.

- By Hanna Geissler

Research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain, found the drugs had a similar effect on cancer jeopardy to bariatric surgery.

The surgery, which involves modi-fying the digestive system to reduce food intake, cuts rates of obesity-related cancers by 30 to 42%.

Weight loss jabs, or GLP-1 medications, mimic the effect of a hormone that makes you feel full.

The study analysed the preventa-tive effects of older forms of the drugs, including liraglutide.

But experts said next-generation drugs like semaglutide or Wegovy lead to greater weight loss — and could therefore be even more effective for cancer prevention.

Professor Mark Lawler, a cancer researcher expert from Queen's