Cancer Patients Warned Against "Quick Fix" Weight-Loss Jabs Without Specialist Care

As cancer treatment becomes a growing concern, a surge in people seeking weight-loss injections has led experts to caution against taking these "quick fix" medications without specialist care. Macmillan Cancer Support has received a noticeable increase in inquiries about drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro, but warns that there is not enough evidence on how they might affect cancer treatment. The manufacturers of these injections acknowledge that they may affect the absorption of other medications, including cancer drugs, due to a mechanism called delayed gastric emptying.

Key Takeaways:

• Macmillan Cancer Support has seen a surge in inquiries about weight-loss injections, but warns against taking them without specialist care due to a lack of evidence on their effects on cancer treatment.
• The manufacturers of weight-loss injections, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, acknowledge that they may affect the absorption of other medications, including cancer drugs.
• Delayed gastric emptying is the mechanism by which weight-loss medications reduce appetite and make a person feel fuller, and also slows down the rate at which medicines are absorbed by the gut.
• Dr. Owen Carter, national clinical adviser at Macmillan Cancer Support, emphasizes the importance of eating well, staying active, and seeking specialist care when considering weight-loss medications.
• There is evidence suggesting that certain weight-loss medications may carry warnings about a potential link with thyroid cancer.
• Weight-loss drugs are available on the NHS to select patients via specialist weight management clinics, but the majority of users access them privately for around £200 a month.

Statistics:

• Estimated 1.5 million people in the UK are accessing weight-loss medications, mostly privately.
• £200 per month is the approximate cost of accessing weight-loss medications privately.
• Later this month, GPs will be able to prescribe Mounjaro to obese patients.

Sources:

- Macmillan Cancer Support

- NHS England, under Prof Sir Stephen Powis

- Online pharmacies