Focus On FDA After Link Between Cheese And Breast Cancer Reported

Pressure from physicians across the United States is being applied on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after data has implied that a specific hormone found in high fat cheese produced from cow's milk may increase the risk of breast cancer.

A new health study regarding cow's milk and its link to a more than 50% increase in breast cancer has resulted in an increase in U.S. doctors urging the FDA to include warning labels on cheese that contain hormones that have been red-flagged as a health risk to women in particular.

Growth hormones such as IGF-1, found in cow's milk which accounts for more than 80% of U.S. dairy production, has for years been studied for its affects on cell proliferation, reproduction and human development.

More than 200,000 women are diagnosed annually with breast cancer, resulting in an average of 40,000 deaths. It is the second leading cause of death in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has asked that the FDA force makers of cheese containing potentially harmful hormones to add warning labels on the packaging. Altering diets to incorporate more low-fat cheese is recommended by some doctors who believe the hormones do increase cancer risks.

Hormones are often injected into young livestock by farmers who are wishing to add weight to animals in an attempt to get a maximum return. Those hormones then enter the bloodstream of humans, and may or may not be increasing risk for disease.