How Does Glyphosate Cause Lymphoma?
(12 Most Common Types)

A substance called Glyphosate is one of the most popular weed killers worldwide. Glyphosate-based herbicides are used by agricultural cohorts as well as in industrial and residential use.

Cancer research has shown that Glyphosate exposure puts humans at an increased risk for cancers like non-Hodgkin lymphoma [1].

Roundup is a brand of weed killer that contains the chemical Glyphosate as its main ingredient.

We have represented thousands of individuals in lawsuits against Bayer, the manufacturer of Roundup. Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide worldwide.

Quick Summary

• Lymphoma is a cancer of the human lymphatic system.
• Glyphosate causes lymphoma by causing changes to regions on tumor suppressors.
• Glyphosate causes several types of lymphoma, including B cell lymphoma, hairy cell lymphoma, and more.
• Those at the most significant risk of exposure to Glyphosate include agricultural workers, landscapers, farmers, groundskeepers, and more.
• Several studies have linked Glyphosate to lymphoma.

What Is Lymphoma?

Lymphoma is cancer within the lymphatic system, which makes up part of the body’s immune system to fight disease.

The lymphatic system contains lymph nodes, the spleen, bone marrow, and the thymus gland.

Lymphoma can affect all the lymphatic system components and other major organs.

How Does Glyphosate Cause Lymphoma?

Exposure to Glyphosate causes lymphoma by producing DNA damage through double-strand breaks in human lymphocytes.

Double-strand breaks can lead to alterations in chromosomes that cause cancers like non-Hodgkin lymphoma. 

Glyphosate also affects cell cycle regulation of certain regions on specific tumor suppressors that prevent DNA replication, leading to the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma [2].

Related Article: Glyphosate Lawsuit Update (2023)

Types of Lymphoma Glyphosate Causes

Glyphosate herbicides put users at an increased risk of cancer.

A study published in 2019 shows that exposure to Glyphosate-based herbicides raises your cancer risk by 41 percent [3].

Exposure to Glyphosate has been known to cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, hairy cell lymphoma, large B-cell lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, skin lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia [4].

Other Risk Factors for Lymphoma

Several other factors put people at a higher risk of developing cancer.

These include:

• Age
• Alcohol use
• Other cancer-causing substances
• Chronic inflammation
• Diet
• Hormones
• Other infectious agents
• Obesity
• Radiation exposure
• Immunosuppression
• Tobacco use
• Sunlight exposure

How Glyphosate Exposure Occurs

Exposure often occurs to agricultural workers, farmers, and landscapers through skin exposure while spraying or touching wet crops, accidentally swallowing Glyphosate while spraying weeds, breathing Glyphosate during use, eating or drinking, or smoking after use.

Who Is at Risk for Exposure to Glyphosate-Based Herbicide?

People who experience long-term exposure to Roundup are at a higher risk of developing cancer.

These include:

• Herbicide applicators
• Professional gardeners
• Commercial groundskeepers
• Landscapers

Related Article: Roundup Lawsuits Update

How to Avoid Using Glyphosate

There are other ways to control weed growth besides weed killers.

Some of the Glyphosate herbicide alternatives include:

Manual removal

Hand weeding in landscaping is always an option, especially for home gardens.

Manual removal can also be an option to avoid occupational exposure to agricultural pesticide chemical groups if weeding is frequent.

Weeding every two weeks can help to control weeds without weed killer before they become established. Of course, there is more labor involved with this method than with weed killer. 

Flame Or Steam Weeding

Flame weeding is useful for seedling weeds but shouldn’t be used in areas with flammable mulch [5].

Flame weeding can be effective for weeding between pavers, in gravel mulch, or in a crevice in a driveway.

The leaf tissue of plants collapses quickly after heat treatment. Larger weeds may require multiple treatments, however.

Steam weeding is a better option in locations where flammable mulch or other materials are present.

Using pressurized steam instead of the weed killer Roundup can be effective in killing weeds quickly [6].

Supporting Evidence Linking Glyphosate to Lymphoma

Several studies have linked Glyphosate to the development of lymphoma.

The International Agency for Research of Cancer published an assessment of the carcinogenic nature of Glyphosate in 2015.

The IARC researchers concluded that Glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen [7].

Animal studies have also shown that Glyphosate is carcinogenic to rodents and causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma in mice.

Studies have also shown that Glyphosate is genotoxic to the human lymphatic system and human lymphocytes, which are the cells which non-Hodgkin lymphoma originates from.

Genotoxic effects have also been shown to affect animals even in low doses of Glyphosate [8]. 

Reasons for the Recall of Glyphosate

There has been no recall of Glyphosate to date. However, research has tied Glyphosate to several cancers, including developing non-Hodgkins lymphoma and lymphocytic leukemia. 

Bayer vehemently denies that Glyphosate causes cancer. The Environmental protection agency has also refused to pull the product from the market, despite the human health issues it causes [9].

“You cannot say that Roundup is not a carcinogen. We have not done the necessary testing on the formula to make this statement.”
– Donna Farmer, Senior Crop Scientist, Monsanto

What Is the Burden of Proof for a Roundup Claim?

If you have experienced health issues associated with Roundup, you may be eligible for a product liability lawsuit against Bayer.

Roundup may be liable for your illness or the death of a loved one from failure to warn customers of the product’s potential risks.

To hold the company accountable, you must prove two key elements.

1. First, you will need to prove a history of exposure to Roundup. Whether it was used in your workplace commercially or has had ten or more dose uses on your lawn.
2. Second, you will need medical proof that you have been diagnosed with cancers that Glyphosate causes, including lymphoma or leukemia, or any other health issues that Glyphosate may have caused.

Average Settlement

The average Glyphosate lawsuit settles for $5,000 to $250,000.

As of 2020, Bayer paid out a global settlement with thousands of plaintiffs and paid over $10 billion in compensation to settle cancer lawsuits associated with exposure to Roundup [10].

Related Articles:

• How Much Glyphosate Is Used In The US?
• Monsanto Roundup Lawsuit
• Adverse Effects of Glyphosate

See all related toxic tort lawsuits our lawyers covered so far.

FAQs

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Glyphosate?

The long-term effects of Glyphosate include inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, obesity, and depression.

How Long Does Glyphosate Stay in the Body?

Glyphosate stays in the body for a few hours to a few days. During this time, it can be found in the blood and urine.

Can Glyphosate Cause Brain Damage?

Yes, Glyphosate can cause brain damage. A recent study has shown that Glyphosate has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier to cause diseases like Alzheimer’s [11].

Get a Free Lawsuit Evaluation With Our Attorneys

The Product Liability Litigation Group at Schmidt & Clark, LLP is an experienced team of lawyers representing plaintiffs from all 50 states in lawsuits against Bayer.

If you have been diagnosed with lymphoma after using or being exposed to Roundup, contact us immediately for a free lawsuit evaluation. You may have grounds to file a Roundup lawsuit, and our law firm can help.

References:

1. https://www.washington.edu/news/2019/02/13/uw-study-exposure-to-chemical-in-roundup-increases-risk-for-cancer/
2. https://misuse.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/error/abuse.shtml
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383574218300887
4. https://www.hmf-law.com/roundup/non-hodgkins-lymphoma/
5. https://flameengineering.com/pages/flame-weeding-101
6. https://allprojectsgreatandsmall.com/kill-weeds-using-steam/
7. https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/media-centre-iarc-news-glyphosate/
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2152265021001518
9. https://phys.org/news/2019-08-wont-glyphosate-cancer.html
10. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/business/roundup-settlement-lawsuits.html
11.  https://jneuroinflammation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12974-022-02544-5