Doctors Urge FDA To Add Breast Cancer Warning Labels To All Cheese Products
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A group that represents over 12,000 doctors across the U.S. is urging the Food and Drug Administration to put cancer warning labels on cheese.
"Dairy cheese contains reproductive hormones that may increase breast cancer mortality risk."
That's the message from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, who issued a petition to the FDA on Oct. 3 – the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The non-profit cited studies that link cheese – a high-fat dairy product – to increasing a patient's risk for breast cancer.
"Dairy products contain traces of estrogens from cows, and as milk is converted to cheese, the estrogens are more concentrated. While they are only traces, they appear to be biologically active in humans, increasing breast cancer mortality," the group argued in a statement.
The FDA has generally opposed adding warning labels to foods and drinks, including an attempt by California to put a cancer warning on coffee.
According to the CDC, about 245,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women in the U.S. each year. About 2,200 men are also diagnosed annually. The disease remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women.