Weight-loss injections that have become famous for helping people shed pounds may also help some patients with advanced cancer live longer when the disease has spread to the brain, according to a new study.

These medicines belong to a group of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists, and they include Wegovy and Ozempic. They were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but over the past few years they have drawn global attention because many people taking them experience significant weight loss.

The new study does not show that these injections directly treat cancer. Instead, it suggests something more subtle but potentially important: they might help some very ill patients live longer.

The study focuses on brain metastases. This happens when cancer cells travel from somewhere else in the body – such as the lung, breast or skin – to form tumours in the brain. Unfortunately, brain metastases are relatively common and usually indicate that cancer has reached a late and dangerous stage.

Many patients in this situation also have type 2 diabetes. This matters because the condition can make serious illness harder to manage. High blood sugar can cause chronic inflammation, damage blood vessels and weaken the body’s ability to cope.

In my own clinical practice, I often prescribe steroids to help patients with brain metastases manage symptoms such as swelling in the brain. Steroids can be very effective, but they also tend to raise blood sugar levels and can make diabetes harder to control. This has led researchers to ask whether GLP-1 drugs might have additional benefits.

When diabetes drugs meet cancer care

Laboratory studies suggest they may protect brain cells, reduce........

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