Testimony in a baby powder cancer trial in St. Louis is now focused on expert evidence associating talcum powder with ovarian cancer risk.

Last Tuesday, Harvard epidemiologist Daniel Cramer testified on behalf of plaintiff Nora D. Dr. Cramer was one of the first researchers to raise concerns about a possible ovarian cancer risk linked to talcum powder, after conducting a 1982 study that revealed the first epidemiological evidence of such a link.

Counsel for defendant Johnson & Johnson cross-examined Cramer, challenging him to explain why Nora has not taken a genetic test that would show whether she has a particular genetic predisposition for ovarian cancer.

The test would reveal whether Nora has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation. These mutations are responsible for eight to 20 percent of ovarian cancer cases. Cramer testified that at $2,500, the test would be unusually expensive.

Further cross-examination focused on how the alleged ovarian cancer risk associated with talcum powder compares to the cancer risks with other consumer products, such as red meat and alcohol, that are not required to carry any cancer warning on their labels.

Linking Talcum Powder with Ovarian Cancer Risk

Nora was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had a tumor removed in 2013. Having used Johnson & Johnson talcum powders for hygiene for years, she now believes it was the cause of her ovarian cancer.

She argues Johnson & Johnson knew about the evidence showing a link between its talc-based products and ovarian cancer, yet failed to issue a warning that would put consumers on notice about the risk.

Nora is one of many women who have brought similar claims in talcum powder lawsuits of their own. These plaintiffs generally allege they developed ovarian cancer after years of using Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower, both products of defendant Johnson & Johnson.

Many plaintiffs also name as a defendant Imerys Talc America, a mining company that provides J&J with raw talc. Some accuse J&J, Imerys and other industry members of conspiring to prevent information about baby powder cancer from being made public.

Scientific studies suggesting a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer predate even Dr. Cramer’s 1982 study. In 1971, British researchers reported finding talc particles embedded in tissue samples taken from ovarian tumors.

Since then, a few dozen other studies have suggested that women who use talcum powder in their perineal area have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Researchers theorize talc particles are able to migrate through the reproductive tract until they reach the ovaries, where they become embedded and eventually trigger the development of cancer.

The scientific evidence is not conclusive, however. Johnson & Johnson maintains that there is no hard proof of a link between talc and ovarian cancer, and that its talc-based products are safe.

Nora’s Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Risk Lawsuit is Case No. 1422CC0932601 in the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri.