June 29, 2016 — A woman who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after routinely spraying the weed-killer Roundup is one of dozens of people who have filed lawsuits against Monsanto.
CBS News spoke to Yolanda Mendoza, a woman who used a backpack to spray Roundup on her one-acre property every week.
In 2013, Mendoza was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She is now in remission after undergoing five months of treatment and aggressive chemotherapy.
Monsanto is facing over 30 lawsuits (PDF) from farmers, landscapers, migrant workers, and other people who developed cancer after using Roundup.
Their claims are backed up by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization (WHO), which declared Roundup a “probable human carcinogen” in 2015.
The IARC cited observational studies in the United States, Canada, and Sweden linking Roundup exposure to higher rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma among farm-workers. Animal studies from the 1980s also prove that Roundup causes cancer in rodents.
Based on the animal studies, the EPA classified Roundup as “possibly carcinogenic” in 1985. However, the agency reversed its decision in 1991 with little explanation.
Roundup generates about $5 billion in sales for Monsanto every year. It is sprayed on nearly every acre of corn, soybeans, and cotton grown in the United States, in addition to being used on countless backyards. You probably eat small amounts of it every day. Recent studies have found residues in bagels, organic eggs, oatmeal, and other breakfast foods.
Do I have a Roundup Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Roundup induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Toxic Chemical Exposure Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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