Objectives: There have been conflicting reports concerning an increased risk of pancreatic cancer (PC) in new users of glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1As). We aimed to explore whether the use of GLP-1A is associated with an increased risk of PC.
Methods: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted using TriNetX. Adult patients with diabetes and/or overweight and obesity who were newly treated with GLP-1A or metformin for the first time between 2006 and 2021 were matched 1:1 using propensity score matching. The risk of PC was estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model.
Results: A total of 492,760 patients were identified in the GLP-1A and 918,711 patients in the metformin group. After propensity score matching, both cohorts (370,490 each) were well matched. During follow-up, 351 patients in the GLP-1A and 956 on metformin developed PC after an exposure lag of 1 year. Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists was associated with a significantly lower risk of PC (hazard ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.52).
Conclusions: The use of GLP-1A in patients with obesity/diabetes is associated with a lower risk of PC compared with a similar cohort of patients using metformin. Our study findings reassure clinicians and patients with apprehensions about any possible association between GLP-1A and PC.
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