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A new study has concluded that people who are frequently exposed to glyphosate-based weedkillers like Roundup have a 41% chance of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma. According to the research, there's a clear link between repeated exposure to glyphosate and an increased risk for cancer, although they cautioned that the exact risk may vary per individual.

Monsanto's Roundup is the primary offender that led to the commission of the study, with almost 10,000 lawsuits in the United States being brought against the chemical company and its owner company Bayer AG. In August 2018, the first plaintiff went to trial against Monsanto and won by a unanimous jury decision, which is now being appealed by the Roundup makers.

Monsanto Says There's No Link Between Glyphosate and Cancer

With conspiracy theories abound surrounding the company's involvement with GMOs and all sorts of hazardous chemicals, there is a considerable portion of the population that would be hesitant to trust the accuracy and honesty of any statement that starts with “Monsanto says.”

Yet, despite the common mistrust, the company continues to manufacture chemicals used in the food, home, restaurant, and agricultural industries. Monsanto is appealing the rulings that have recently gone against them, but that's not stopping the onslaught of new lawsuits that are continuing to pile up.

Check this link for more info about Roundup's link to cancer.

Was the EPA Wrong About Glyphosate?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated in their initial assessment of glyphosate that the chemical was not likely to cause cancer. However, some scientists are now alleging that the EPA didn't follow their own protocols when conducting their evaluation.

While a response from Bayer maintains that Roundup and glyphosate are safe, according to the EPA, a more recent meta-analyses study conducted by a panel of five scientists has turned up evidence that the herbicide is significantly carcinogenic.

Examining Cancer Rates in Highly Exposed Individuals

The new meta-analysis looks at all of the studies done on glyphosate to date, including the 2018 Agricultural Health Study that Monsanto has previously cited as proof that there's no link between glyphosate and cancer. However, the primary difference between this study and previous reports is that this one looked solely at individuals who had long-term heavy exposure to glyphosates.

The logic is simple – if there really is no link between glyphosate and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, then even people with the heaviest exposures should not have a significantly increased rate of cancer, and yet they do. Meanwhile, Bayer has countered by stating that the recent meta-analysis is merely a manipulation of existing statistics that provides no new epidemiology data.

Hasn't Enough Research Been Done Already?

The argument that the new study doesn't bring any new data to the table may be a moot point considering how many studies have already been done on glyphosate. If there's going to be evidence of a carcinogenic link, chances are it will already be hiding within the existing data.

The researchers and scientists responsible for the most recent findings might not need to create new data if they can show that the existing data has been hiding a substantially increased risk of cancer for people with high exposures to Roundup and other glyphosate-containing herbicides.

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published gloucestercitynews.net | April 24, 2019