Will GLP1 drugs tease out the relationship between insulin and cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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In trying to discern factors that may account for colorectal cancer incidence in younger people many diet and lifestyle factors fell short, a new study finds. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, points toward insulin and prediabetes as a possibility, noting that GLP1 drugs may reveal a lot.

Nelson:I think we may learn how important that is when we get more and more data on these GLP one drugs and how they're affecting that particular syndrome, which is really what they were designed for originally. As they lower weight and they improved this glucose control are we going to see diminished cancers? At that point I think we could really point at this pathway for the increase that we saw but that'll take time to see.   :23

A new sort of measurement may be needed.

Nelson: Can you monitor insulin and insulin like growth factors going up I think you probably could. Cancer is not the only malady associated with this process coronary disease and other things would be interesting to follow.    :11

At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.