OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA) use and all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes treated for colorectal cancer, using a real-world health database.
METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the TriNetX global health records network. Adult patients with type 2 diabetes diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 2010 and 2025 were included. Patients were divided into two cohorts based on GLP1-RA exposure versus other oral antidiabetic drugs. Propensity score matching was applied to balance covariates. Overall survival (primary outcome) and metastasis-free survival (secondary outcome) were analysed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models.
RESULTS: After propensity score matching, each cohort included 751 patients. Median follow-up period was 731 days in the GLP1-RA cohort and 779 days in the non-GLP1-RA cohort. GLP1-RA users had a significantly reduced all-cause mortality rate (11.5%) compared with non-users a (20.4%), with a hazard ratio of 0.58 (95%CI: 0.45-0.76; P < 0.001). Metastasis-free survival rate were 5.3% in the GLP1-RA cohort versus 8.9% in the matched non-user cohort, with a hazard ratio of 0.60 (95%CI: 0.40-0.87; P = 0.01). The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) did not differ significantly between cohorts, with a hazard ratio of 0.84 (95%CI: 0.66-1.06; P = 0.16).
CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world cohort of diabetic patients treated for colorectal cancer, GLP1-RA therapy was associated with a significant improvement in overall survival. These findings support the continued use of GLP1-RA agents in this population and may provide reassurance to clinicians and patients regarding the safety and potential benefit of these agents following a colorectal cancer diagnosis.
