Darren R. Brenner; Yibing Ruan; Chantelle Carbonell. JAMA Network Open. 2025;8(9):e2530904
Excess body size has emerged as an impactful component of population-level cancer risk. Current data suggest that at least 13 cancer sites are convincingly associated with excess body size, most often characterized by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25.0. These results have been impressive, especially when compared with supervised diet and activity modification programs, which have shown minimal long-term impact in the placebo arms of these trials. 28.8% and 41.4% among female individuals, respectively), we projected that, in 2030, 18.0% of all ORCs among female individuals and 14.3% among male individuals would be attributable to high BMI in the United States. Cancer incidence across the 13 associated sites was projected to increase by 26.6% between 2025 and 2050, with the largest relative increases observed among cancers with the strongest associations with obesity. Our analyses suggest that a GLP-1RA–related 10% weight reduction could lead to a total reduction of 1,222,584 ORC cases among male and female individuals combined by 2050. The largest prevention potential was projected for breast and endometrial cancers among female individuals and for kidney and liver cancers among both sexes. These results suggest that widespread use of GLP-1RAs among individuals with high BMI could considerably reduce ORC incidence in the US.
24 Mar, 2026