Roundup Cancer Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

We are no longer accepting new Monsanto Roundup cases.

Jury Awards Groundskeeper $289.2 Million in Landmark Monsanto Roundup Verdict

Evidence Links Monsanto’s Roundup Weedkiller to Rare Blood Cancer

Mounting evidence suggests that exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer increases the risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer that starts in cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system.

About Monsanto’s Roundup

Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer accounted for roughly $994 million in net sales between fiscal year 2013 and 2014. While farmers account for the majority of Roundup sales, many Americans with a garden to tend likely have a small bottle of Roundup on hand to kill weeds.

The meteoric rise in Roundup’s popularity mirrors that of Monsanto’s own timeline—the agrochemical giant began selling herbicides in the mid-20th century, then developed genetically modified seeds that are resistant to the effects of non-selective herbicides. Both inventions made it easy for farmers to spray Roundup indiscriminately on large tracts of land, killing weeds without affecting their crops.

The problem is that Monsanto marketed Roundup as being a safe product for decades, even though the company allegedly knew that a Roundup cancer link existed, along with and a host of other serious health issues. A number of Roundup cancer studies have confirmed that glyphosate exposure is a probable cause of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers.

Glyphosate: A Probable Cause of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the Monsanto Roundup weed killer and other companies’ products, has been listed as a probable cause of non-Hodgkin lymphoma by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the World Health Organization’s cancer research arm.

The 2015 IARC glyphosate classification was based on a review of multiple studies on the effects of glyphosate to agricultural and forestry workers since 2001. The evidence shows that people who were exposed to glyphosate experienced higher reported incidences of non-Hodgkin lymphoma than those who weren’t exposed to the herbicide. The IARC report further points out that glyphosate is currently used in 750 products around the world, and use of the herbicide has “increased sharply with the development of genetically modified glyphosate-resistant crop varieties.”

2014 Roundup Cancer Study Links Glyphosate to Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Over the last 30 years, there has been an increase in reported cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a major scientific review published in 2014. The study suggests that chemical pesticides and herbicides—particularly glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup weed killer—are a major contributing factor to the rising number of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases.

The Roundup cancer study, titled “Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Occupational Exposure to Agricultural Pesticide Chemical Groups and Active Ingredients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The paper focused on reviews and meta-analyses of nearly 30 years worth of epidemiological research examining the link between non-Hodgkin lymphoma and occupational exposure to 80 pesticide active ingredients and 21 chemical groups. The study notes that pesticides are often grouped according to the type of pests that they control; for example, fungicides are used to kill fungi, insecticides to kill insects, and herbicides to kill weeds and plants.

The 2014 glyphosate cancer study attempted to reconcile an apparent trend among farm workers who have low mortality rates but high reported incidents of cancer. Researchers believe that exposure to Roundup may best explain this contradiction, as the Roundup cancer study found that being exposed to glyphosate doubled an individual’s risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Aside from demonstrating that pesticide exposure in occupational agricultural settings is an important determinant of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the study also found that glyphosate exposure was linked to a common non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtype, B-cell lymphoma.

Symptoms of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma symptoms can vary widely in accordance with where it is in the body. In certain circumstances, the cancer may not have any indicators until it grows large. According to the American Cancer Society, the following are the most common signs and symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in different parts of the body: