American dairy farmers use rBGH hormone to increase milk
production
- rBGH increases cancer risk of milk
- Citizen advocacy groups escalate efforts
against rBGH
Study Warns of Colon and Breast Cancer
Risks from rBGH Milk
January 23, 1996, Washington, DC - The
Cancer Prevention Coalition and Food & Water, released a
study today reporting that milk from cows injected with recombinant
Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)
increases risks of breast and colon cancers in humans.
This study is published in the January issue of the International
Journal
of Health Services, a peer-reviewed, leading international
public health
journal.
The study summarizes evidence that rBGH
increases levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in milk.
IGF-1
is a powerful stimulator and
regulator of cell-growth and division in humans and
cows. The study concludes that increased IGF-1 levels are risk
factors for breast
and colon cancer.
rBGH poses an even greater risk to human
health than ever considered," warned
Samuel Epstein M.D., Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University
of Illinois School of Public Health and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention
Coalition, author of the new report. "The FDA
and Monsanto have a lot to answer for. Given the cancer
risks, and other health
concerns,
why is rBGH milk still on the market?"
Since 1986, independent scientists have
expressed concern about the lack of research on the potential
health
effects of IGF-1 in
rBGH
milk. More recently, the Council of Scientific
Affairs of the American Medical Association admitted
that: "Further
studies will be required to determine whether the ingestion
of higher than normal
concentrations of bovine IGF-1 is safe."
Increased IGF-1 levels in rBGH milk exert
their cancer promoting effects directly on cells lining
the colon,
and on breast
cells, following absorption into the blood.
"
Monsanto 's claims that rBGH is perfectly safe have been proven dead
wrong today. This study further validates the health concerns of
millions of consumers about this controversial product," said
Michael Colby, Executive Director of Food and Water. "Only
Monsanto is benefiting from this drug. It's time for
dairy companies to side
with consumers by adopting a policy that they will
not allow rBGH, under any circumstances, to be used
by their farmers."
Epstein concluded, "The entire nation is currently
being subjected to a large-scale adulteration of an
age-old dietary staple by a
poorly characterized and unlabeled biotechnology product
which is very different
than natural milk."
Statement by the Cancer Prevention Coalition
on IGF-1 and Breast and Colon Cancer
The FDA has ignored the wide
range of converging evidence that associates increased consumption
of insulin growth
factor-i (IGF- 1), which
increases in milk from rBGH treated cows,
with a potential risk of breast and other
types
of cancer.
Published research shows that rBGH use
on dairy cows induces a marked and
sustained increase
in levels
of insulin-like
growth
factor-1,
or IGF-1, in cow’s milk. This
is admitted by FDA (Juskevich & Guyer,
1990), and more explicitly by others
(Prosser 1988; Prosser 1989; Mepham,
1992). A recent admission by another
manufacturer of rBGH
(Eli Lilly & Co.) reports a ten
fold increase in IGF-1 levels. Furthermore,
there is suggestive evidence
that IGF- 1 in rBGH milk
is more bioactive than in non-hormonal
milk (Mepham, 1992).
IGF-1 regulates
cell growth, division
and differentiation, particularly
in children.
Human and normal
bovine IGF-1 are identical, they
are largely bound in protein and thus probably
less biologically active than unbound
IGF1 in rBGH
derived milk.
IGF-1 is not destroyed
by pasteurization. In fact this process substantially
increases IGF-1
levels
in milk.
(Juskevich and Guyer, 1990). Nor
is IGF-1 destroyed by digestion.
Moreover, FDA admits that IGF-1
is readily absorbed
across the intestinal
wall (Juskevich & Guyer,
1990); this was also previously
admitted by Monsanto in 1987. Further
confirmation
is also provided by other
authorities (e.g. Mepham,
1992). Additionally, recent research
indicates that IGF-1 can be absorbed
into the bloodstream where it
can effect other hormones.
(Donovan and Odle, 1994)
FDA and other industry sources
have not published any detailed
studies
on the
oral toxicity
of IGF-1 Rather,
they have
consistently refused
to make available their findings
and raw data. A highly condensed
summary
of an
IGF- 1 Monsanto
short
term
test in mature rats
was released by FDA (Juskevich & Guyer, 1990). The agency alleges
that this study confirms IGF- 1's "lack of oral activity." At
the outset it should be noted
that the Monsanto test was contracted
out to Hazelton
Laboratories, which
has a two decade history of
misrepresentation of scientific
data. (Epstein, 1978). However,
even the cited
Monsanto/Hazelton
data explicitly reveal statistically
significant evidence of growth
promoting effects. Feeding relatively
low
doses of IGF-1 to mature
rats for only two weeks resulted
in statistically significant
and biologically highly significant
systemic effects:
increased body
weight; increased liver weight;
increased
bone length; and decreased epiphyseal
width. These results are confirmatory
of prior theoretical
predictions.
The FDA has failed to investigate
the effects of long-term feeding
of IGF-
1 and rBGH-milk
on growth,
or on more sensitive
sub-cellular
effects, in infant rats or
infants of any other species.
Significantly, cows injected
with rBGH show heavy localization
of
IGF-l in
breast (udder)
epithelial
cells; this does
not occur in
untreated cows. (Furlanetto,
et al, 1984; Gregor, et al,
1985; Campbell,
et al,
1986.) IGF-1
induces rapid
division
and multiplication
of
normal human breast epithelial
cells in tissue cultures.
It is
highly
likely that
IGF- 1
promotes transformation
of normal breast
epithelium
to breast cancers. (Furlanetto,
et al, 1984; Harris, et al,
1992, growth
factors
such
as IGF-1 "are
responsible at least in part
for the evolution of normal
breast epithelia
to breast cancer...').
Moreover, IGF-1 maintains
the malignancy of human breast
cancer cells,
including their invasiveness
and ability to spread to
distant organs. (Lippman,
1991, 1993). IGF-l has
been similarly associated
with
colon cancer (Tricolo, et
al, 1986).
The undifferentiated
pre-natal
and infant breast is particularly
susceptible
to hormonal
influences.
(Ekbom, et al. 1992)
Such imprinting by IGF-1
may increase future breast
cancer
risks, and
may also increase
the sensitivity of the
breast to subsequent unrelated risks
such
as mammography
and the carcinogenic
and estrogen-like
effects of
pesticide residues in food,
particularly in pre-menopausal
women. (Elwood,
et al, 1993).
Concerns about increased
levels of IGF- 1 in milk
from cows
treated with rBGH
are not
new.
In 1990,
the National
Institutes
of Health
(NIH) Consensus panel
on rBGH expressed concerns
on adverse
health effects
of IGF-1 in rBGH
milk, calling
for further
study on the
treated milk's impacts,
especially on infants.
(NIH, 1991).
In a 1989 letter
to the FDA, I warned
that the effects of
IGF-1 "could include
premature growth stimulation in infants, [breast enlargement] in
young children and breast cancer in adult females." More recently,
the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association
stated: "Further studies will be required to determine whether
the ingestion of higher than normal concentrations of bovine insulin-like
growth factor is safe for children, adolescents and adults." (AMA,
1991). Instead of further
study, the FDA allowed
for uncontrolled, unlabeled
sales of treated milk
to unwitting
consumers.
Given the potential health
impacts of consumption
of milk and other
dairy products derived
from rBGH treated cows,
all such products
at a minimum be labeled
so that consumers are
aware of what they
are purchasing
and consuming.
More
prudently the FDA
approval of
rBGH should be withdrawn
until the agency performs
adequate
long term testing on
the impacts of increased
levels
of IGF-
1 in milk
and other dairy products
derived from rBGH treated
cows.
References
American Medical Association,
Council on Scientific
Affairs. Biotechnology
and
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Ayre, S.G. et al.
Neoadjuvant low-dose
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Campbell, P.G. and Baumrucker,
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receptors in
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1994. Growth Factors in
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of
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Glimm, D .R. et
al. Effect of
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distribution
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Source:
Press Conference,
National Press
Club, Washington
D.C., January
23, 1996
CONTACT:
Samuel S. Epstein, M.D.
Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition
c/o University of Illinois at Chicago
School of Public Health, M/C 922
2121 W. Taylor Street
Chicago, IL 60612
epstein@uic.edu
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