Weight loss jabs may distort cancer scans, raising risks of misdiagnosis |

Image credits: Getty Images

According to a RAND 2025 reportnearly 12% of Americans have used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, including about one-fifth of women aged 50-64. In the states where many people struggle with obesity and unhealthy eating habits, weight loss jabs have arrived as unicorn solutions for not only getting back in health and shape but also reducing hunger cravings and more, making them a popular and go-to choice for many.Now, according to reports from Daily Mail, research that will be presented at the Annual Congress of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine in Barcelona on October 8, stated that the use of their weight loss jabs that help people lose up to a fifth of their body weight might distort cancer scans.

What does the research say?

Image credits: Getty Images

British researchers who assessed PET-CT scans, which help diagnose and stage cancers, discovered that the injections negatively affected how tissue appeared on scans, which could be misinterpreted as potentially cancerous.After uncovering the anomaly with one patient, researchers performed a review of several PET-CT scans. These scans combine a CT scan and a PET scan. They make use of a mildly radioactive liquid called a radioactive tracer to see areas of the body where the cells are more active than normal.A higher level of metabolic activity and concentration on the scan, can signal potentially cancerous activity, visible in the form of brighter spots. In the results, researchers found ‘several’ patterns of tracer on the scans among GLP-1 users that were ‘atypical’ and ‘could be misinterpreted’ as potentially cancerous areas.This means that people using the injections known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists or GLP-1s were more likely to undergo unnecessary further tests to investigate the health of the tissue.Experts fear it could lead to stress and uncertainty for patients and even lead to delays in their treatment.Dr Peter Strouhal, medical director at Alliance Medical and lead author of the study said: ‘We noticed unusual uptake in one of our patients on a GLP-1 agonist, which prompted a wider review across our network. We found that these altered patterns are increasingly common, yet there is currently no national or international guidance in the UK addressing this emerging issue.’‘Recognising the characteristic uptake associated with GLP-1 agonists helps avoid unnecessary anxiety and interventions, ensuring patients receive the right care, at the right time, without detours or doubt,’ he added.Thus, medical teams must carefully consider a patient’s medical history when interpreting scan results, the researchers added.See more: Weight Loss Tips to Lose Inches of Stubborn Belly Fat in a Healthy Way

GLP-1 drugs interfere with medical processes?

Image credits: Getty Images

This research is a new one in a line of many recent researchers suggesting that the weight loss jabs interfere with medical processes and tests.Research published in 2024, found that GLP-1 drugs could potentially interfere with breast cancer chemotherapy drugs. In the study focused on the US, women with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer were followed throughout and after the treatment.Tests two years later showed that just 28% of women on GLP-1s fully responded to the cancer therapies and were clear of it. However, 63% of those not on the weight loss jabs were cancer-free.The researchers also discovered GLP-1s had infiltrated tumour cells and immune cells in samples taken from the patients.Thus, more research needs to be done on the effect of these weight loss jabs on medical drugs and tests and patients’ medical history needs to be reviewed carefully before beginning any medical treatment.