The talcum powder cancer litigation movement is taking off, as Johnson & Johnson are reportedly facing at least 70 lawsuits in their home state of New Jersey, alleging the company knew the risk of their products. These baby powder cancer lawsuits involve women who used the company’s talcum powder for personal hygiene purposes and allegedly developed ovarian cancer as a result.

Talcum powder has been used as a personal hygiene product for men and women, as well as for infants and children, for over 100 years. It is one of Johnson & Johnson’s most successful innovations. However, as early as the 1980s, suspicions of cancer began to surface when medical experts noticed a high number of ovarian cancer cases among chronic talcum powder users. Due to the fact that these findings were primarily found in medical journals, the public remained widely unaware of the baby powder ovarian cancer until recently.

Johnson & Johnson argues that the statistics suggesting a correlation between talcum powder use and the development of ovarian cancer are too weak, and may have resulted from biased researchers. Medical experts state that when talcum powder is applied to a woman’s genital area, talc particles can enter the woman vaginal canal and settle in the ovaries. These particles can sit in the ovaries for up to eight years, which can allegedly cause the formation of malignant tumors.

Despite the mounting evidence to suggest otherwise, Johnson & Johnson argues that there is no proof that talc particles can pass into the ovaries and no proof that once there the particles could cause cancer. Therefore, Johnson & Johnson argues that there is no need to include warnings on their Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower powder product warning labels.

Overview of Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Devastation

Talc is one of the softest materials on earth and is used in a variety of industrial and consumer products. However, talc deposits are often interlaced with other minerals, including asbestos. Scientists have noted that talc particles behave similarly to asbestos, leading some researchers to accuse talcum powder of causing asbestos-related diseases.

In 1976, the Personal Care Products Council issued a new standard for talcum powder manufacturers, stating that their talc products must be asbestos free. That same year, talcum powder ovarian cancer studies took off, often following each other to either support or correct previous findings. There are a total of 20 scientific inquiries observing the possible link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer; one of the most recent studies was conducted in 2013.

As a result of such studies, the Cancer Prevention Coalition asked the FDA in 1994 to require warning labels alerting women to the risk of using talcum powder for genital hygiene. At the time, the FDA stated that the request lacked sufficient evidence to require Johnson & Johnson to update its label, and the baby powder manufacturer refused to voluntarily provide the warning on product labels. Johnson & Johnson continues to deny allegations that its products may cause ovarian cancer, but the rising number of lawsuits against the manufacturer may bring more information to light and prompt a change in the warning label requirements.