A 76-year-old Florida woman has died of ovarian cancer, prompting her widower to file a baby powder wrongful death lawsuit.

Michael O. claims his wife’s use of baby powder on her perineum from infancy through adulthood caused her to develop ovarian cancer and die in July 2014.

Baby powder’s main ingredient is talc, which has been suspected of causing cancer for decades.

Johnson & Johnson Promotes Talc as Safe, Effective

In the 1960s and 1970s, Johnson & Johnson baby powder was advertised to absorb “excess wetness” to keep skin dry and comfortable. In marketing directed at women, the bottle stated, “For you, use every day to help feel soft, fresh, and comfortable.”

During the same period of time, the defendants introduced Shower to Shower, another talc-based powder marketed to women.

Johnson & Johnson’s slogan of “A sprinkle a day helps keep odor away” played on radio and TV through the 1980s.

Shower to Shower was promoted for use all over the body with words such as: “Your body perspires in more places than under your arms. Use Shower to Shower to feel dry, fresh, and comfortable throughout the day.” And Shower to Shower can be used all over your body.”

Studies Show Baby Powder Wrongful Death Probability

Over the years, a variety of studies have shown an association between talc and ovarian cancer.

In 1971, Dr. W.J. Henderson led a team that conducted the first study that suggested a link between talc products and ovarian cancer.

They found talc particles embedded in ovarian and cervical tumors.

It is believed that talc crystals make their way up the genitourinary tract and into the peritoneal cavity.

The ovaries are open-ended in the peritoneal cavity, and the talc crystals settle in there and cause irritation.

In 1982, Dr. Daniel Cramer published a study that showed women who used talc products on their genitals showed a 92 percent increase in ovarian cancer, adding credibility to the baby powder wrongful death lawsuit.

Dr. Cramer approached Johnson & Johnson at the time and told them they should place a warning on talcum powders so that women could make informed decisions on the risks before purchasing the products.

In 1997, a study of more than 1,000 women declared an increased risk of 42 percent for ovarian cancer in women who applied talc to their sanitary napkins.

The condom industry stopped dusting condoms with talc powder in 1996 because of the possible link between talc and baby powder wrong death cases.

The International Association for the Research of Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, published a paper in 2006 that declared the perineal use of talc-based body powder as a “Group 2B” human carcinogen.

The IARC is the international cancer authority, and it found that between 16 and 52 percent of women in the world were using talc on their genitals, increasing their risk of ovarian cancer from 30 to 60 percent.

Despite years of evidence to the contrary, Johnson & Johnson invested millions of dollars in marketing and political maneuvering to convince the public of the safety and effectiveness of talc-based products on the genitals.

The Baby Powder Wrongful Death Lawsuit is Case Number 2:16-cv-14393-RLR in the Circuit Court of the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Indian River County, Florida.