For 12 years, [Christine] Sheppard had no idea what might have caused her non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — until a group of cancer researchers reported (PDF) that glyphosate, the key ingredient in the popular weed killer Roundup, is “probably carcinogenic to humans” (PDF).
That’s the same herbicide Sheppard said she sprayed on her coffee farm in Hawaii for five years.
“I was incensed,” said Sheppard, 67. “We had no idea.”
Sheppard is one of more than 800 cancer patients suing Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, claiming the company failed to warn consumers about the risk of cancer associated with Roundup products.
Monsanto says there’s no proof that glyphosate is carcinogenic. In fact, it cites a report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Cancer Assessment Review Committee that said glyphosate is “not likely to be carcinogenic to humans” (PDF).
But the former chairman of that committee offered to stop an independent review on whether glyphosate could cause cancer, according to a plaintffs’ motion to compel his deposition. And that has left Sheppard even more incensed.
But Monsanto said there are more than 800 studies demonstrating glyphosate’s safety, including studies conducted internationally.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Patients: Roundup gave us cancer as EPA official helped the company
