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Mar 31

The new weight-loss drugs and cancer – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

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Everybody was happy except my GI tract

Vicki Webb Pouncey, a 58-year-old breast cancer patient from Melbourne, Florida, tried three of the drugs over the last few years, under the supervision of both her nurse practitioner (who discovered Pouncey was insulin resistant) and her oncologist, who worried her extra weight might drive a recurrence.

She first tried the low-dose pill Rybelsis, but after several weeks had zero results. So she tried Wegovy using a discount coupon for a six-month supply.

On the Wegovy, I lost 40 pounds right away and my numbers all started to improve, she said. Cholesterol, blood sugar, insulin resistance that all looked better. But then the coupon ran out and I couldnt get any more so I went back on the Rybelsis.

Again, her weight loss stalled. So her providers suggested she try Ozempic. Immediately, pounds started to come off again.

I lost weight and my labs looked great, she said. Everybody was happy except my GI tract.

The drugs can have considerable side effects. Ozempic lists the most common as nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting and constipation. Zepbound lists the same plusindigestion, injection site reactions, fatigue, allergic reactions, belching, hair loss and heartburn. It also mentions the potential for kidney failure; gallbladder problems; pancreatitis; low blood sugar; changes in vision and depression.

At first, Pouncey only had nausea and diarrhea a few days after her weekly shot; then it started happening more often.

The drug absolutely diminished her food cravings and her sweet tooth, she said, and she felt healthier, at least for a while. But Ozempic may have been too effective.

There were days when I had to make myself eat, she said. At one point, I think I became malnourished because of all the nausea and diarrhea. But my lab numbers were beautiful so I stayed on it.

After several months, though, the GI issues became a daily ordeal and she started to have pain on her right side. Now, there were only good hours, not good days, she said.

She stopped the Ozempic and went to her doctor about the pain. He ordered a CT scan, thinking shed developed pancreatitis, one of the noted side effects. Instead, the CT scan found metastatic breast cancer in her liver, which led to more scans and more tumors.

The scans also detected nodules on her thyroid, which have yet to be biopsied. The metastatic breast cancer treatment is her primary concern, she said.

She absolutely does not attribute her metastatic recurrence to the weight-loss drugs.

I understand the difference between correlation and causation, she said. The thyroid nodules are the only thing I would associate with it. And it lists that in the risk factors on the label.

Even with the all the suffering, Pouncey said the drugs were beneficial. All told, she lost 80 pounds; her cholesterol, insulin resistance and blood sugar improved dramatically and she was even free of the joint pain caused by her anti-hormone drugs.

Once I got rid of processed sugar and carbs, my joint pain almost resolved itself, she said. And losing the weight took the pressure off my knees.

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The new weight-loss drugs and cancer - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

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