Talcum powder, a key ingredient in most baby powders, has been found to cause ovarian cancer when used by females for personal hygiene. Johnson & Johnson, maker of its namesake talc-based baby powder and Shower to Shower, has been accused of failing to warn consumers of the risks of talcum powder ovarian cancer.

An estimated 10,000 women reportedly develop ovarian cancer annually as a result of baby powder use.

What Is Talcum Powder?

Talcum powder is made from a soft mineral called hydrous magnesium silicate that is found throughout the world. It is crushed, dried and milled to produce powder used in cosmetic products by millions of people. Some experts say it shares chemical similarities to asbestos, which can cause a deadly form of lung cancer called mesothelioma.

Tiny particles have been found to travel through the genital tract and they have been found deep inside the pelvis. They can also last inside the body for years. It is estimated that one particle of talc powder in the lungs, for example, would take eight years to dissolve.

Ovarian cancer accounts for about 5 percent of cancer deaths in women. It’s sometimes known as a ‘silent killer’ because for many victims symptoms of ovarian cancer only appear once it is already fairly advanced.

By the time ovarian cancer is diagnosed, it has usually spread or metastasized making it difficult to treat, and only 20 percent of women diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer survive.

Studies Link Risk of Ovarian Cancer and Baby Powder Use

In recent medical studies, doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston analyzed data from 8,525 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer and compared talcum powder use with that of 9,800 women who remained cancer-free.

The results, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, showed that regularly applying baby powder after bathing or showering raised the risk of an ovarian tumor by 24 percent. Talcum powder particles applied to the genital area can travel into a woman’s body and trigger inflammation, which allows cancer cells to flourish.

Furthermore, according to a recent Harvard study, women who use talcum powder in the genital or perineal region could be at a 41 percent higher risk for developing ovarian cancer.

Additionally, some studies suggest the baby powder ovarian cancer risks are greatest in the estimated one in 10 Caucasian women with a certain genetic profile. Women carrying a gene called glutathione S-transferase M1, or GSTM1, but lacking a gene called glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1), are nearly three times as likely to develop ovarian cancer.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using baby powder or Shower to Shower body powder products, you may have grounds to file a talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuit.  Filing a lawsuit enables families to seek compensation for medical care, pain and suffering, and loss associated with baby powder cancer.