An updated review on cancer risk associated with incretin mimetics and enhancers
Journal
Journal of Environmental Science and Health - Part C Environmental Carcinogenesis and Ecotoxicology Reviews
Journal Volume
33
Journal Issue
1
Pages
67-124
Date Issued
2015
Author(s)
Abstract
Incretin-based therapies, including the use of incretin mimetics of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists and incretin enhancers of dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, are widely used by clinicians for glucose lowering in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. These agents have benefits of a lower risk of hypoglycemia, being neutral for body weight for DPP-4 inhibitors and having a potential for weight reduction with GLP-1R agonists. They may also have a neutral or beneficial cardiovascular effect. Despite these benefits, an increased risk of cancer (especially pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer) associated with incretin-based therapies has been reported. In this article, we reviewed related literature of experimental animal and observational human studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses published until December 15, 2014. Current studies suggested a probable role of GLP-1R activation on the development of pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer in rodents, but such an effect in humans is not remarkable due to the lower or lack of expression of GLP-1R on human pancreatic ductal cells and thyroid tissues. Findings in human studies are controversial and inconclusive. In the analyses of the US Food and Drug Administration adverse events reporting system, a significantly higher risk of pancreatic cancer was observed for GLP-1R agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors, but a significantly higher risk of thyroid cancer was only observed for GLP-1R agonists. Such a higher risk of pancreatic cancer or thyroid cancer could not be similarly demonstrated in other human observational studies or analyses of data from clinical trials. With regards to cancers other than pancreatic cancer and thyroid cancer, available studies supported a neutral association in humans. Some preliminary studies even suggested a potentially beneficial effect on the development of other cancers with the use of incretins. Based on current evidence, continuous monitoring of the cancer issues related to incretin-based therapies is required, even though the benefits may outweigh the potential cancer risk in the general patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Copyright ? 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
SDGs
Other Subjects
Drug products; Mammals; Peptides; Diabetes mellitus; Dipeptidyl peptidase; Glucagon-like peptide-1; incretin; Pancreatic cancers; Thyroid cancers; Diseases; calcitonin; exendin 4; glucagon like peptide 1 receptor; incretin; liraglutide; metformin; saxagliptin; sitagliptin; antidiabetic agent; incretin; acute pancreatitis; alcohol consumption; bile duct carcinoma; breast cancer; calcitonin blood level; cancer prevention; cancer risk; cancer survival; cell growth; chronic pancreatitis; colon cancer; colon carcinogenesis; colorectal cancer; comorbidity; diabetes mellitus; ethnic difference; glucagonoma; glycemic control; heredity; human; in vitro study; in vivo study; insulin resistance; leukemia; liver cell carcinoma; Macaca fascicularis; meta analysis (topic); neuroblastoma; nonhuman; obesity; pancreas cancer; precancer; prostate cancer; protein expression; randomized controlled trial (topic); Review; risk benefit analysis; smoking; species difference; thyroid cancer; thyroid papillary carcinoma; tumor growth; tumor volume; chemically induced; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Neoplasms; Pancreatic Neoplasms; risk factor; Thyroid Neoplasms; Animalia; Rodentia; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents; Incretins; Neoplasms; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Risk Factors; Thyroid Neoplasms
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Inc.
Type
review