rBGH, Hormones, Breast Cancer, and Pink Ribbons

Martin Donohoe

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)

• aka recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST), brand name Posilac©

• 10-15% of U.S. dairy cows injected with rBGH• Used to increase milk production by

cattle

rBGH

• Marketed primarily to large dairy farms (LDFs), which are supplanting small dairy farms

• LDFs have–Worse environmental impact records–Higher rates of workplace injuries–Contribute to decreasing agricultural

diversity

Effects of rBGH on Humans

• Serum IGF-1 levels increase 13% above baseline in individuals drinking milk from rBGH-treated cattle

• IGF-1 interacts with estrogens, androgens, and other growth promoters

• Milk is the food most associated with high IGF-1 levels

• IGF-1 not important in yogurt, since it is used as a food source by some of the bacteria responsible for yogurt production

Risks of rBGH

• IGF-1 is a suspected contributor to breast, prostate and GI cancers–Promotes cell division and reduces

apoptosis (preprogrammed cell death) in animals– Inhibits the ability of various anti-cancer

drugs to kill cultured human breast cancer cells

Risks of rBGH

• Along with pesticides, other endocrine disruptors, and obesity, IGF-1 may be partly responsible for earlier onset of puberty (9.9 yrs in 2006, compared with 10.9 years in 1991)

• Women who eat dairy products deliver twins at five times the rate of vegans

Risks of rBGH

• Children, who have more years of life to live and drink more milk (and more milk per body weight) than adults, are disproportionately affected

• Some evidence suggests rBGH milk being funneled to U.S. children through school lunch programs– Many school systems have gone rBGH-free

Harmful Effects of rBGH

• FDA: rBGH causes 16 different harmful conditions in cattle, including heat stress, hoof disorders, GI disturbances, birth disorders, ovarian and uterine problems, and mastitis–Antibiotic treatment of mastitis leads

to increased antibiotic resistance in cattle and humans

rBGH (Posilac©)

• Originally developed and marketed by Monsanto

• Sold to Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly, in 2008

Monsanto

• Agent Orange, PCBs, dioxins DDT• Largest producer of genetically-modified

seeds–Contamination events–Unethical experiments–Harassment of scientists

Monsanto

• Pesticide Roundup used in “War on Drugs” in Colombia

• Profitable• Member of corporate front groups

fighting food safety legislation/organizations

Monsanto

• Roger Beachy (long-time president of the Danforth Plant, Monsanto’s nonprofit arm) now chief of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, overseeing almost $500 million in grants and research funding

Monsanto

• Islam Siddiqui, VP at CropLife America (US branch of CropLife International, an agribusiness front group led by Monsanto and others) Obama’s Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the US Trade Representative’s Office

Eli Lilly

• Paid record-setting settlement of $1.42 billion to US Justice Department for illegally marketing Zyprexa to children and elderly for non-FDA approved indications

• Multiple other instances of illegal and unethical marketing

Eli Lilly

• Manufactures antibiotics used to treat mastitis

• Produces Gemzar (used to treat breast cancer)

Elanco

• Marketed diethylstilbestrol (DES) for almost 2 decades despite data showing link between DES exposure in mothers and clear cell vaginal cancers in offspring–Outlawed for human use in 1971–Banned for use in cattle in 1979

Elanco

• Manufactures ractopamine (Paylean), a beta agonist given to livestock for last 7-28 days of life to increase protein synthesis–OK’d by FDA, but banned in 160 nations–Can cause hyperactivity and muscle

breakdown–Dangerous for human consumption

Elanco

• 2009: Elanco paper, commissioned through PR company Porter-Novelli, authors paid by Elacno– Loaded with misinformation (see report and OR

pSR rebuttal on phsj website)

• Authors admit falsely claiming AMA and AAP endorsements for rBGH, misstate ACS’s neutral position

FDA Approval of rBGH

• OK’d for use by FDA in 1993; on market since 1994

• FDA official (and former Monsanto attorney) Michael Taylor oversaw process – became Monsanto VP after leaving FDA; now senior advisor to FDA Commissioner

FDA Approval of rBGH

• FDA relied on industry summary of internal tests

• GAO investigation:– Found 3 FDA employees involved in

decision had conflicts of interest and multiple ethics rules violations–Criticized sloppy, manipulative science, lack

of data on human health effects

rBGH Worldwide

• Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the European Union have banned rBGH• The Codex Alimentarius, the UN’s

main food safety body, has refused to certify rBGH as safe

Opposition to rBGH

• APHA• ANA• Health Care Without Harm• AMA President Ron Davis (’07-’08)• BMJ

Opposition to rBGH

• Humane Society• Animal Protection Institute• Humane Farming Association• Farm Sanctuary• ACS – no formal position (2009);

previously supported rBGH

rBGH Today

• All fluid milk products in Oregon now rBGH-free

• 55 of the top 100 U.S. dairies are now at least partially rBGH-free or have announced that they will be

• Starbucks’ (company-owned stores), Chipotle, 160 hospitals nationwide rBGH-free

Hormones in Beef

• Six steroid hormones routinely used in US beef production: estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, zeranol. melengestrol, trenbolone

• DES (linked to clear cell vaginal and cervical cancers used through 1979, even though banned for humans in 1971

Hormones in Beef

• Since 1988, use of steroids in cattle production illegal in Europe

• US government states hormone residues in beef from adult cattle pose no threat to human health–Endocrine Society, APHA, others

disagree

Other reproductive toxins/carcinogens

• Phthalates, bis-phenol A (BPA), pesticides (persistent organic pollutants)

• Body burden high (EWG)

• Nursing infants at top of food chain

Hormone-Related Diseases on the Rise

• Breast and prostate cancers• Thyroid disease• Obesity• Diabetes• Endometriosis• Uterine fibroids• Infertility

Hormones in the Food Supply

• Earlier onset of breast development and puberty in young girls

• Altered sex ratio (more girls, fewer boys)• Increasing cryptorchidism–Risk factor for testicular cancer

• Micropenis, hypospadias increasing

Pink Ribbon Campaigns

• Positive aspects:– Community of survivors– Fund raising– Research– Advocacy– $30 million raised per year through pink ribbon

campaigns

• Negative aspects: Pinkwashing

Pinkwashing

• Outgrowth of the transformation of corporate philanthropy in the 1980s and 1990s to "strategic philanthropy" and "cause-related marketing“

• No one owns the pink ribbon image or oversees its use

Pinkwashing

• Pink ribbon packaging can mean donations to breast cancer research–with or without cap–with or without use of coupon–ongoing or time-limited–or simply to raise awareness of breast

cancer

Pink Ribbons

• Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, Komen Foundation spend up to 25% of money raised on overhead

• Breast Cancer Awareness Month created by Astra Zeneca (manufacturer of tamoxifen)– AZ was a leading manufacturer of pesticides until

corporate reorganization in 2000

Pinkwashing

• "Consumption philanthropy" may dampen people's willingness to make direct charitable donations

• Pink ribbon products can be carcinogenic, production may involve labor and even human rights violations

Egregious Examples of Pinkwashing

• Cosmetics–teens use avg. 17 personal care

products/d–adults 12/d

• Yoplait – previously contained rBGH (now rBGH-free)

• Jingle Jugs

Cosmetics

• ACS's "Look Good...Feel Better" program provides 30,000 women per year with a free makeover and bag of makeup donated by the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Assn

• Cosmetics contain a number of environmental toxins– See Environmental Working Group website for

database of toxins in cosmetics

Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer

• Komen Foundation and American Cancer Society largely ignore environmental contributors to breast cancer

• ACS allocates less than 0.1% of its annual budget to environmental and occupational causes of cancer

Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer

• ACS “Excalibur Donors” ($100,000+/yr) include big Pharma and petrochemical, industrial waste, auto, cosmetic, and junk food companies

• 2010: ACS rejects President’s Cancer Panel Report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer,” which concluded that “the true environmental burden of environmentally-induced cancers has been grossly underestimated”

What Can You Do?

• Read the fine print when you buy pink Avoid bottled water - use a refillable stainless steel bottle

• Avoid milk products from rBGH-treated cattle• Eat organic, free-range beef if you are not

vegetarian• Do not microwave food in plastic containers

What Can You Do?

• Avoid cooking in non-stick pans and eating foods packaged with non-stick plastic

• Get recommended breast exams, mammograms

• Get angry at corporate malefactors for polluting the environment and food supply– e.g., GE-NY Presbyterian agreement

• Spread the word

Further Information

• Campaign for Safe Food, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility: http://www.oregonpsr.org/programs/campaignSafeFood.html

Contact Information

Public Health and Social Justice Website

http://www.publichealthandsocialjustice.org

http://www.phsj.org

martindonohoe@phsj.org