Diabetes Drugs May Raise Thyroid Cancer Risk in First Year, Researchers Note Study Limitations

A recent study indicates that diabetes medications like Ozempic and Rybelsus may be linked to increased risk of thyroid cancer.

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A recent study suggests a possible link between thyroid cancer and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Rybelsus, especially in the first year of use.

The study, published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, involving 351,913 adults with Type 2 diabetes, examined those treated with GLP-1RAs compared to other glucose-lowering diabetes medications.

People within the first year of GLP-1RA treatment had a 1.85 times higher chance of being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In subsequent years, the risk decreased to 1.27 times higher for people who had been taking GLP-1RA medications for two or more years.

However, overall, in absolute numbers, 69, or 0.17 percent of the participants developed thyroid cancer.

The researchers suggested that enhanced medical monitoring may explain the uptick in diagnoses rather than indicating that GLP-1RAs themselves cause thyroid cancer.

“This finding may have been due to enhanced early detection; therefore, further research is necessary to understand the underlying causes of this association,” they pointed out.

Additionally, current evidence on thyroid cancer incidence associated with GLP-1RA use is limited, the authors further cautioned, noting mixed findings from previous studies.

Significant Limitations

The study primarily relied on administrative data to identify key outcomes and medication exposure over time.

Researchers were not able to distinguish between subtypes of thyroid cancer, a distinction crucial for understanding the biological reasons behind the association of GLP-1RAs.

Additionally, the study focused on patients using GLP-1RAs for the treatment of diabetes rather than for obesity management or the reduction of cardiovascular disease risk.

As the demand for diabetes medications like GLP-1RAs continues to grow, the researchers encourage health care professionals to balance the benefits of these treatments with their potential risks.

“The metabolic advantages of GLP-1RA likely outweigh the possible risk of thyroid cancer,” the researchers wrote.