What is your recommendation for patients who are on weight loss medications like GLP-1-based therapies while receiving chemoradiation for head and neck cancer?

I recommend immediate discontinuation of GLP-1-based therapies. Increased risk of nausea/vomiting and weight loss certainly aren't side effects we need during head and neck chemorads. Additionally, there is concern that these agents, even outside of cancer patients, contribute to sarcopenia, which h...

A similar situation can arise when patients are on these agents not just for weight loss, but for glycemic control. Even in that scenario, GLP-1 receptor agonists should be paused during chemoradiation for head and neck cancer due to their appetite-suppressing and gastric-emptying effects, which can...