A comprehensive analysis of the animal carcinogenicity data for glyphosate from chronic exposure rodent carcinogenicity studies. 2020

Christopher J Portier
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. cportier@mac.com.

Since the introduction of glyphosate-tolerant genetically-modified plants, the global use of glyphosate has increased dramatically making it the most widely used pesticide on the planet. There is considerable controversy concerning the carcinogenicity of glyphosate with scientists and regulatory authorities involved in the review of glyphosate having markedly different opinions. One key aspect of these opinions is the degree to which glyphosate causes cancer in laboratory animals after lifetime exposure. In this review, twenty-one chronic exposure animal carcinogenicity studies of glyphosate are identified from regulatory documents and reviews; 13 studies are of sufficient quality and detail to be reanalyzed in this review using trend tests, historical control tests and pooled analyses. The analyses identify 37 significant tumor findings in these studies and demonstrate consistency across studies in the same sex/species/strain for many of these tumors. Considering analyses of the individual studies, the consistency of the data across studies, the pooled analyses, the historical control data, non-neoplastic lesions, mechanistic evidence and the associated scientific literature, the tumor increases seen in this review are categorized as to the strength of the evidence that glyphosate causes these cancers. The strongest evidence shows that glyphosate causes hemangiosarcomas, kidney tumors and malignant lymphomas in male CD-1 mice, hemangiomas and malignant lymphomas in female CD-1 mice, hemangiomas in female Swiss albino mice, kidney adenomas, liver adenomas, skin keratoacanthomas and skin basal cell tumors in male Sprague-Dawley rats, adrenal cortical carcinomas in female Sprague-Dawley rats and hepatocellular adenomas and skin keratocanthomas in male Wistar rats.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D005998 Glycine A non-essential amino acid. It is found primarily in gelatin and silk fibroin and used therapeutically as a nutrient. It is also a fast inhibitory neurotransmitter. Aminoacetic Acid,Glycine, Monopotassium Salt,Glycine Carbonate (1:1), Monosodium Salt,Glycine Carbonate (2:1), Monolithium Salt,Glycine Carbonate (2:1), Monopotassium Salt,Glycine Carbonate (2:1), Monosodium Salt,Glycine Hydrochloride,Glycine Hydrochloride (2:1),Glycine Phosphate,Glycine Phosphate (1:1),Glycine Sulfate (3:1),Glycine, Calcium Salt,Glycine, Calcium Salt (2:1),Glycine, Cobalt Salt,Glycine, Copper Salt,Glycine, Monoammonium Salt,Glycine, Monosodium Salt,Glycine, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate,Acid, Aminoacetic,Calcium Salt Glycine,Cobalt Salt Glycine,Copper Salt Glycine,Hydrochloride, Glycine,Monoammonium Salt Glycine,Monopotassium Salt Glycine,Monosodium Salt Glycine,Phosphate, Glycine,Salt Glycine, Monoammonium,Salt Glycine, Monopotassium,Salt Glycine, Monosodium
D006540 Herbicides Pesticides used to destroy unwanted vegetation, especially various types of weeds, grasses (POACEAE), and woody plants. Some plants develop HERBICIDE RESISTANCE. Algaecide,Algicide,Herbicide,Algaecides,Algicides
D000097797 Glyphosate Active compound in herbicidal formulations that inhibits 3-PHOSPHOSHIKIMATE 1-CARBOXYVINYLTRANSFERASE. Gliphosate,Glyphosate Hydrochloride (2:1),Glyphosate, Calcium Salt,Glyphosate, Calcium Salt (1:1),Glyphosate, Copper (2+) Salt,Glyphosate, Dilithium Salt,Glyphosate, Disodium Salt,Glyphosate, Magnesium Salt,Glyphosate, Magnesium Salt (2:1),Glyphosate, Monoammonium Salt,Glyphosate, Monopotassium Salt,Glyphosate, Monosodium Salt,Glyphosate, Sodium Salt,Glyphosate, Zinc Salt,Yerbimat,Kalach 360 SL,N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine,Roundup
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D015197 Carcinogenicity Tests Tests to experimentally measure the tumor-producing/cancer cell-producing potency of an agent by administering the agent (e.g., benzanthracenes) and observing the quantity of tumors or the cell transformation developed over a given period of time. The carcinogenicity value is usually measured as milligrams of agent administered per tumor developed. Though this test differs from the DNA-repair and bacterial microsome MUTAGENICITY TESTS, researchers often attempt to correlate the finding of carcinogenicity values and mutagenicity values. Tumorigenicity Tests,Carcinogen Tests,Carcinogenesis Tests,Carcinogenic Activity Tests,Carcinogenic Potency Tests,Carcinogen Test,Carcinogenesis Test,Carcinogenic Activity Test,Carcinogenic Potency Test,Carcinogenicity Test,Potency Test, Carcinogenic,Potency Tests, Carcinogenic,Test, Carcinogen,Test, Carcinogenesis,Test, Carcinogenic Activity,Test, Carcinogenic Potency,Test, Carcinogenicity,Test, Tumorigenicity,Tests, Carcinogen,Tests, Carcinogenesis,Tests, Carcinogenic Activity,Tests, Carcinogenic Potency,Tests, Carcinogenicity,Tests, Tumorigenicity,Tumorigenicity Test
D051379 Mice The common name for the genus Mus. Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus
D051381 Rats The common name for the genus Rattus. Rattus,Rats, Laboratory,Rats, Norway,Rattus norvegicus,Laboratory Rat,Laboratory Rats,Norway Rat,Norway Rats,Rat,Rat, Laboratory,Rat, Norway,norvegicus, Rattus
D036401 Toxicity Tests, Chronic Experiments designed to determine the potential toxic effects of a long-term exposure to a chemical or chemicals. Chronic Toxicity Tests,Chronic Toxicity Test,Test, Chronic Toxicity,Tests, Chronic Toxicity,Toxicity Test, Chronic

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