A new massive lawsuit filed in Missouri federal court contends that a common personal hygiene item may be hazardous to our health.

Nearly 90 plaintiffs are suing Johnson & Johnson alleging the company knew that talcum powder causes cancer.

The talcum powder lawsuit, consisting of a mix of women who were allegedly affected by Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based powder products and loved ones filing on behalf of women who died as an alleged result of talcum powder cancer, claims indeed talcum powder causes cancer.

Each of the unrelated individuals from 29 different states commonly alleges the development of some unspecified subtype of ovarian cancer as a result of applying talcum powder products, including Johnson’s baby powder or Shower to Shower, to the perineal area.

Some of the 88 plaintiffs allege they used talcum powder products for a period of almost 64 years prior to their ovarian cancer diagnosis, while others allegedly used such products for only four years.

For instance, plaintiff Alvetta C. of Georgia alleges she used talcum powder products from 1948 to 2012 and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, while plaintiff Faith F. of Kentucky alleges she used such products from 2011 to 2016 and was diagnosed in 2016.

Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson has filed a motion to dismiss the 82 non-Missouri plaintiffs for lack of personal jurisdiction.

Research Suggests Talcum Powder Causes Cancer

Since the early 1980s, various studies have suggested talcum powder causes cancer.

According to Dr. Daniel Cramer, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and director of the OB/GYN Epidemiology Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a study published in 1982 strongly suggested that genital use of talcum powder causes cancer.

Cramer and his team conducted two dozen additional epidemiological studies and have found strong evidence that suggests that regular talc use may increase a woman’s overall risk of ovarian cancer by about 30 percent.

According to scientific research, a woman’s risk for ovarian cancer appears to increase the longer she uses talc on her genitals or the more often she applies the powder over time.

It has been difficult, according to researchers, to ascertain just how much talc a woman uses for each application and how to determine how much of it actually gets into the vagina.

Talc is known to contain an inflammatory agent in it. Inflammation on a constant basis may cause a predisposition to cancer. The ovarian tissue of cancer patients examined under a microscope has shown talc present within the tissue.

Even if a woman has not developed ovarian cancer, talc can be found in tissue taken from lymph nodes of women who have used in the genital area. When talc is used on the genitals, scientists suggest that it can work its way into the vagina and eventually migrate to the ovaries located in the upper genital tract.

It is there where talc causes potential inflammatory responses to the substance and potentially disrupts the immune system’s response. But researchers caution that it is not exactly known just how talcum powder causes cancer.

Still, even the American Cancer Society suggests that talcum powder used in the genital area can create a small risk of ovarian cancer in some women.

Ovarian cancer is a silent killer that affects only 3% of cancers among women, but causes more deaths than any other cancer of female reproductive organs, according to the American Cancer Society.

Talcum Powder Lawsuits

The use of products containing talc has shown a direct link to some forms of cancer. Most people use these products and are completely unaware of the risks and by the time they find out it is too late.

If they had been warned, they may have used corn starch based products instead and not have endangered their health.

If you or someone you love has developed ovarian cancer or has died after having used talc products, an experienced talcum powder attorney can help you recover medical costs and even file a wrongful death suit against those responsible.

The Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 4:16-cv-01123 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division.