Diabetes Drugs May Raise Thyroid Cancer Risk in 1st 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 study published in JAMA Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery suggests a possible link between thyroid cancer and diabetes drugs such as Ozempic and Rybelsus, especially in the first year of use.

The study, involving 351,913 adults with Type 2 diabetes, examined those treated with GLP-1RAs, the class of drugs that includes Rybelsus and Ozempic, compared to patients treated with 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 stated.

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 any possible association with 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 such as 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.