1. rBGH, Hormones, Breast Cancer, and Pink Ribbons
Martin Donohoe

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. rBGH (Posilac©) Originally developed and marketed by Monsanto
Sold to Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly, in 2008

10. Monsanto Agent Orange, PCBs, dioxins DDT
Largest producer of genetically-modified seeds
Contamination events
Unethical experiments
Harassment of scientists

11. Monsanto Pesticide Roundup used in “War on Drugs” in Colombia
Profitable
Member of corporate front groups fighting food safety legislation/organizations

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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 o illegal and unethical marketing

15. Eli Lilly Manufactures antibiotics used to treat mastitis
Produces Gemzar (used to treat breast cancer)

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Opposition to rBGH APHA ANA Health Care Without Harm
AMA President Ron Davis (’07-’08)
BMJ

23. Opposition to rBGH Humane Society Animal Protection Institute
Humane Farming Association
Farm Sanctuary
ACS – no formal position (2009); previously supported rBGH

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. Other reproductive toxins/carcinogens
Phthalates, bis-phenol A (BPA), pesticides (persistent organic pollutants)
Body burden high (EWG)
Nursing infants at top of food chain

28. Hormone-Related Diseases on the Rise
Breast and prostate cancers
Thyroid disease
Obesity
Diabetes
Endometriosis
Uterine fibroids
Infertility

29. 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

30. Pink Ribbon Campaigns Positive aspects: Negative aspects: Pinkwashing
Community of survivors
Fund raising
Research
Advocacy
$30 million raised per year through pink ribbon campaigns
Negative aspects: Pinkwashing

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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

35. Egregious Examples of Pinkwashing
Cosmetics
teens use avg. 17 personal care products/d
adults 12/d
Yoplait – rBGH
Jingle Jugs

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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”

39. 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

40. 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

41. Further Information
Campaign for Safe Food, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility:

42. Public Health and Social Justice Website
Contact Information
Public Health and Social Justice Website