ROUNDUP & CANCER

Claire Robinson reports for GM Watch:

“A new paper from the US National Institutes of Health reports indications of DNA damage among men applying Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides. DNA damage is concerning because it can lead to cancer. A commentary on the new paper published in the same issue of the journal, titled Important new evidence for glyphosate hazard assessment, calls it “a critical step forward in filling knowledge gaps of glyphosate carcinogenicity in humans”.

The study’s authors, Vicky C. Chang et al, were inspired to conduct their study because although mechanistic studies in human cells and animals support the genotoxic effects of glyphosate, “evidence in human populations is scarce”. They analyzed the blood, urine and mouth cells of licensed pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina. They found links between lifetime occupational use and a marker of DNA damage known as mosaic loss of chromosome Y (mLOY). mLOY is a chromosomal alteration that is commonly detected in the blood cells of adult men, especially aging men. It has been associated with blood cancers such as lymphoma, myeloma, and leukemia, as well as with Alzheimer’s disease.”

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