A consumer recently filed a lawsuit against Monsanto alleging that he developed lymphoma from Roundup use due to the weed killer’s active ingredient glyphosate.

Plaintiff Bruce M, and his wife Delores M, recently filed a lawsuit against Monsanto Company, alleging that the manufacturer’s products caused Bruce to develop lymphoma from Roundup use.

Roundup weed killer was first released in 1970 after Monsanto discovered the herbicidal properties of glyphosate, its active ingredient. Glyphosate is a herbicide which kills weeds indiscriminately based on whether or not a plant produces a specific enzyme. The non-selective targeting mechanism of glyphosate makes it effective even against the most resilient weeds. Roundup has both domestic and commercial uses and an estimated 250 million pounds of the product are used across the country every year.

Bruce allegedly began using Roundup in 1990 and continued such use through 2017. He says he sprayed the product on a regular basis and allegedly followed all safety and precautionary warnings during his use. According to the Roundup cancer lawsuit, Bruce developed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from Roundup in 2015.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a type of cancer which affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. These cells are a part of the immune system and cancer of these cells can easily spread to other parts of the body including the liver, brain, and bone marrow. Symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, weight loss, fatigue, chest pain, and easy bruising.

Bruce claims that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is a carcinogen. As early as 1985, the EPA’s Toxicology Branch classified glyphosate as a “possible human carcinogen with limited evidence”. Since then, numerous studies have been publishing showing that consumers can develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from Roundup use.

According to the Roundup cancer lawsuit, studies of glyphosate have shown that the chemical can affect cell cycle regulation, leading to the mutation of cells and the development of cancer.

In 2015, after decades of research, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a Class 2A probable carcinogen. This classification means that its has been shown to be carcinogenic and there has been sufficient evidence that it causes cancer in animals. The only classification higher than Class 2A is Class 1, which indicates that the material or chemical is carcinogenic in humans without a doubt. However, the IARC has strict criteria for Class 1 carcinogens and the class only contains around 100 carcinogens.

Despite the wide array of evidence against the safety of glyphosate and the possibility of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from Roundup use, Monsanto allegedly has not acknowledged the risks associated with their products.

“Despite the IARC’s classification of glyphosate as a class 2A probable carcinogen, Defendant continues to maintain that glyphosate and/or Roundup is safe, non- carcinogenic, nongenotoxic, and falsely warrant to users and the general public that independent experts and regulatory agencies agree that there is no evidence of carcinogenicity or genotoxicity in glyphosate and Roundup,” the Roundup cancer lawsuit states.

Bruce accuses Monsanto of purposely concealing scientific evidence about the risks of lymphoma from Roundup use, and claims that consumers such has himself have sustained serious injury from the company’s alleged concealment and fraud.

The Roundup Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 4:18-cv-00818-SPM in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

If you or a loved one developed cancer after using Roundup as a farm worker or home gardener, you may have a legal claim. Legal migrant farm workers may also seek help. Learn more by filling out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.

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