Abstract 6057: Association of liver cancer and chronic liver disease with urinary glyphosate and its metabolites in Thailand

Background: Glyphosate, the primary weed-killing ingredient in Roundup®, is the most widely used herbicide worldwide. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs Program classified glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen (Group 2A), capable of causing human cancer under some circumstances. Methods: We analyzed urine specimens from 848 sequential patients with liver cancer and matched non-cancer controls from five different regional hospitals in Thailand. Gas chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (GC-ESI/MS) technique was used to measure glyphosate and its metabolites aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and phosphoric acid (PPA) to study their levels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and chronic liver disease (CLD) in comparison to matched population controls. Findings: Significantly higher levels of glyphosate were found in CLD patients compared to cancer cases and population controls, while significantly elevated levels of both AMPA and PPA were observed in HCC and CLD patients. Glyphosate and its metabolites were also detected at low to moderately high levels in convenience samples of food products and drinking water. Interpretation: These results raise concern about the potential role of glyphosate in chronic human liver disease and cancer. Citation Format: Daxesh P. Patel, Benjarath Pupacdi, Siritida Rabibhadana, Leila Toulabi, Majda Haznadar, Bhavik Dalal, Mohammed Khan, Joshua Stone, Vajarabhongsa Bhudhisawasdi, Nirush Lertprasertsuke, Anon Chotirosniramit, Chawalit Pairojkul, Chirayu U. Auewarakul, Thaniya Sricharunrat, Kannika Phornphutkul, Suleeporn Sangrajrang, Anuradha Budhu, Chulabhorn Mahidol, Xin W. Wang, Frank J. Gonzalez, Mathuros Ruchirawat, Christopher A. Loffredo, Curtis C. Harris, TIGER-LC Consortium . Association of liver cancer and chronic liver disease with urinary glyphosate and its metabolites in Thailand [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6057.