An expert witness hired by a plaintiff dying of cancer told a jury recently that the risk of carcinogenic talc dangers “makes sense” in light of the evidence. That witness, an epidemiology professor from the University of California in Berkeley, notes that the specific form of cancer suffered by the plaintiff, mesothelioma, has a very long latency period – meaning that it can be decades between initial exposure and the manifestation of symptoms.

Case Background

The plaintiff, a 61-year-old woman, says she used Johnson’s Baby Powder and a similar product, Colgate’s Cashmere Bouquet, on a daily basis, starting when she was around 13 years of age. She testified to using the products all over her body. She further said that both products contained talc contaminated with asbestos.

During the third day of the trial, the professor told the jury that asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma. Although some studies indicate a link between mesothelioma and DNA damage due to radiation exposure, 80 percent of those who contract disease have been in contact with asbestos at some point in their lives.

The professor noted that “No level [of asbestos exposure] has been proven not to have any risk at all.”

Talc Dangers and the Asbestos Connection

Talc and asbestos
have been found in close proximity to one another in nature, as both minerals are formed by similar geologic processes. The specific forms of asbestos found near talc deposits are tremolite, also known as “brown” asbestos, and anthophyllite.

These varieties of asbestos are made up of hard, needle-like fibers that, when ingested, literally drill through lung and organ tissue from the inside out, causing chronic inflammation. The result is DNA damage, which leads to the formation of malignant tumors.

Mesothelioma

Although rare, mesothelioma is possibly the most horrific of talc dangers. Often afflicting industrial workers and military veterans who have been exposed to asbestos, mesothelioma is a unique and rare form of cancer that attacks the visceral lining. Unlike most tumors that grow into lumps, mesothelioma growths are flat and therefore very difficult to detect and diagnose; the disease was mistaken for lung cancer until well into the 1950s.

It is also a very slow-growing form of cancer; symptoms may not appear until 30 to 50 years after the patient was exposed to asbestos. Because of this, by the time the disease begins to show symptoms, it is in stage 3 or 4. At that point, only palliative measures can be offered to the patient.

Talc Litigation

Lawsuits alleging talc dangers of cancer were first filed in 2013. In 2016, the first major baby powder lawsuit verdict against Johnson & Johnson was rendered by a federal court in St. Louis. During that trial, internal company documents came to light showing that Johnson & Johnson engaged in a cover up in which they attempted to influence regulators and ignored warnings from medical experts.

Product liability lawyers are currently reaching out to people who have contracted mesothelioma or ovarian cancer from the use of asbestos-contaminated talc.