Racial and demographic disparities in glp-1ra use among breast cancer patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) offer significant benefits for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), including improved glycemic control, weight reduction, cardiovascular protection, and reduced all-cause mortality, which are particularly relevant to breast cancer survivorship. Disparities in access may worsen inequities in care. Using the TriNetX national electronic health record database, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 119,430 breast cancer patients with type 2 diabetes (2005-2024; mean age 66.1 ± 11.4 years; 67.2% White, 22.9% Black, 5.7% Asian, 4.2% Other). After propensity matching, compared with White patients, Asian (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.58-0.71), Black (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.75-0.81), and Other race patients (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.83-0.97) were significantly less likely to receive GLP-1RAs. These disparities persisted among overweight and obese subgroups: Asian (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.88), Black (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.74-0.81), and Other patients (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95). These findings underscore the urgent need to address inequitable access to GLP-1RAs in breast cancer survivorship care.
Authors
- Omer S. Ashruf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1385-0090)
- Jasmin Hundal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1358-1209)
- Jasmine Sukumar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6994-8527)
- Karen Basen‐Engquist (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7299-0646)
- David C. Kaelber (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7855-9515)
- Hong Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9984-3849)
Institutions
- Cleveland Clinic (US)
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
- MetroHealth Medical Center (US)
- Indiana University School of Medicine
- Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Breast Cancer
- Published
- 2025-11-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41523-025-00844-6
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.29
Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Cleveland, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences