During the last forty years, scientists have studied the connection between using talcum powder products and certain cancers, such as ovarian cancer. Talcum powder is often applied to or used in the genital area as baby or body powder or because it is present on sanitary napkins, condoms, or diaphragms. Because talcum or baby powder is most often used on infants between diaper changes or for a woman’s personal hygiene, the powder has been found to travel inside the body via the vagina, irritating the genital tract, and settling inside the uterus, fallopian tubes, and the ovaries.

Some scientific studies have found that talcum powder increases a woman’s risk for ovarian cancer by 20 to 30 percent. Even particles of this talcum powder have been discovered in the lymph nodes or tumors of those with ovarian cancer, which only bolsters the connection between talcum powder and ovarian cancer.

If you or a loved one suffers from ovarian cancer or any illness from using talcum powder, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced Sacramento talc attorneys may be able to help you pursue a personal injury claim. Call us at (916) 921-6400 for free, friendly advice.

Table of Content:

• Potential Fatal Link
• What Exactly is Talc or Talcum Powder?
• The Connection Between Talcum Powder and Cancer
• What Other Studies Show
• No Warning Labels
• Talcum Powder Injury Statistics
• Lawsuits Regarding Talcum Powder Injuries
• Criteria for a Talc Claim
• Victories for Victims
• Consult with an Experienced Talcum Powder Injury Attorney

Unfortunately, some of the manufacturers of talcum powder products have failed to warn customers of the potentially fatal link between the use of talcum powder on the genitals and ovarian cancer. If you or a loved one are battling ovarian cancer due to talcum powder products, consult a skilled and experienced Talcum Powder Injury Attorney as soon as possible. We are investigating cases involving the possible link between using talcum powder products and ovarian cancer. We will work to help you or your family recover damages from your injuries.

Talcum powder is made from talc, a naturally occurring mineral of different elements, including silicon, magnesium, and oxygen.  In its natural form, Talc can sometimes contain asbestos, a substance known to cause lung cancers when inhaled.  Fortunately, those talcum powder products used in the home, at least in the United States, have been free of asbestos since the 1970s.

The talcum powder used in the home today is made from ground-up talc, and as a powder, it can absorb moisture and reduce friction. Therefore it is helpful in the prevention of rashes and keeps skin dry.  It is generally used in cosmetic products like baby powder and adult products such as facial and body powders.  Some popular talcum powder products are Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Valeant Pharmaceuticals’ Shower to Shower.

As mentioned in the preceding, the potential link between ovarian cancer and the use of talcum powder is not a novel idea.  In fact, the earliest scientific study that made a connection between ovarian cancer and talcum powder use was published in 1971.  Those involved in the study found that women who developed ovarian cancer had fibers from talc in their ovaries.  As a result of this study, scientists, doctors, and other medical professionals started to think there might be a significant connection between using talcum powder and an increased chance of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Additional studies over the years have revealed stronger connections between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer. For example, in 1982, a study that was reported in Cancer, a journal published by the American Cancer Society, discovered that those who regularly use pads or sanitary napkins that contained talcum powder were at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer than those women who do not use talcum powder products. In addition, in 2003, Anticancer Research published a study that found that women who use talcum powder weekly on their genitals are at an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Moreover, a 2008 study linked the frequency or regularity of talcum powder products with the risk of developing ovarian cancer.  The study found that those women who use talcum powder daily have a forty-one percent greater chance of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer than those who do not.

Although these studies reveal alarming data, talcum powder products are still largely unregulated.  In fact, manufacturers of talcum powder products, such as Johnson & Johnson, are not required to put warning labels on their talcum powder products because, according to a law that has been on the books since the 1930s, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not have authority over cosmetics. Because the FDA does not have the power to regulate these cancer-causing products, they have yet to recall the dangerous products.

Until then, some doctors and medical professionals are urging consumers to play it safe when using talcum powder products.  Importantly, doctors are saying that talcum powder should never be used in or near the genitals, given the science revealing a possible link between the use of talcum powder and ovarian cancer.

Statistics reveal that of the twenty thousand women in the United States diagnosed with ovarian cancer yearly, more than two thousand of those diagnoses may be related to the regular use of talcum powder products.  In other words, it is believed that in approximately ten percent of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the cancer was caused using talcum powder.

While ovarian cancer is not necessarily one of the most common cancers among women, it is one of the deadliest, mainly because it is hard to detect. Often, it is too late for successful treatment once it is seen.  A woman has a one in 75 chance of developing ovarian cancer in her lifetime.  However, some studies have revealed that long-term and consistent use of talcum powder on the genitals may increase those odds to approximately one in fifty-three.

More than 1,200 women in the United States are suing talcum powder manufacturer Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn consumers that there may be a link between ovarian cancer and talcum powder products.  In two of these lawsuits, juries have found Johnson & Johnson liable for damages, and the company has been ordered to pay millions of dollars in monetary damages.

On May 1, 2016, a jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay 55 million dollars to a woman living in South Dakota who is an ovarian cancer survivor. In February, a jury found Johnson & Johnson liable for the death of a woman who died last October due to ovarian cancer. The woman had used Johnson’s Baby Powder daily and the talcum powder product, Shower to Shower. The jury awarded her family $72 million, to be paid by Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn its consumers of the possible risks of using its feminine hygiene products containing talcum powder. The jury found it telling that Johnson & Johnson’s talc suppliers put warnings on the talc they provided to Johnson & Johnson, yet Johnson & Johnson failed to place warning labels on their own products. Moreover, internal memorandums circulating at Johnson & Johnson indicated that the company was aware of the health risks associated with talc. It has been known for more than twenty to thirty years.

These significant jury verdicts are considered victories for women and their families who believe that their ovarian cancer resulted from using products containing talcum powder.  While about 1,200 lawsuits are pending against manufacturers of talcum powder products, as incidences of ovarian cancer that are found to be related to the use of talcum powder increase, more women and their families will likely seek the compensation they deserve for the manufacturers’ failure to warn them that the use of an everyday cosmetic product was the cause of their illness and/or death.

In the video below, Dr. Marc Siegel with Fox News discusses how a jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay 22 women a total of $4.7 billion in a talcum powder lawsuit.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and used talcum powder products, speak with a knowledgeable and experienced Personal Injury Lawyer as soon as possible to preserve your rights.  A seasoned and qualified attorney who can handle the complexities of your case, mainly when dealing with pharmaceutical companies, can help you obtain the results you deserve for injuries you should not have suffered in the first place.  Successful jury verdicts reveal that it is possible to get significant monetary damages if you are suffering from ovarian cancer that you believe is related to the use of talcum powder.

If you or a family member is suffering from ovarian cancer, or other illness as the result of using talcum powder products, call our experienced Sacramento products liability lawyers at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.

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^{Editor’s Note: updated for accuracy and relevancy [cha 4.6.23]}

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