Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. faces a lawsuit filed by a woman who allegedly developed ovarian tumors after having used Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower powder.

Plaintiff Lorraine T. alleges that the company is responsible for hiding the risks associated with these talcum based products.

The talc and cancer lawsuit alleges that Lorraine first stated using the products in 1967. According to the talc and cancer lawsuit, the plaintiff states that around June 20, 2012, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was, at the time, 62 years old.

Talc and Cancer Associated Studies

According to the talc and cancer lawsuit, a study conducted in 1971 concluded that there was an evident correlation between talc and ovarian cancer.

In another epidemiologic study that was conducted on “talc powder use in the female genital area” in 1982, the study found a “92% increased risk in ovarian cancer with women who reported genital talc use,” the complaint reads.

According to this talc and cancer lawsuit, this later study that was conducted and published by Dr. Daniel Cramer. He also paid a visit to Dr. Bruce Semple of Johnson & Johnson.

With the conclusion of the study, Dr. Cramer advised Dr. Semple that “Johnson & Johnson should place a warning on its talcum powders about the ovarian cancer risks so that women can make an informed decision about their health,” the talc and cancer lawsuit states.

Since that study, Lorraine claims, 27 additional epidemiologic studies have been conducted and “[N]early all of these studies have reported an elevated risk for ovarian cancer associated with genital talc use in women.”

In 1994, moreover, the Cancer Prevention Coalition mailed a letter to former CEO Ralph Larson. The letter stated that alleged conclusive studies since the 1960s have shown “conclusively that the frequent use of talcum powder in the genital area poses a serious health risk of ovarian cancer.”

The letter also stated that 14,000 women die from ovarian cancer per year. It also detailed that ovarian cancer is a complex cancer to detect and that its survival rate is low.

As such, the letter recommended that Johnson & Johnson withdraw its talc based products from the market, arguing that a more beneficial and safer alternative would be using cornstarch powders.

The letter asks, at minimum, that the company “place warning information on its talc-based body powders about the ovarian cancer risk they pose,” the talc and cancer lawsuit states.

The talc and cancer lawsuit also advises that the International Association for Research on Cancer, or IARC, which is a part of the World Health Organization, has categorized talc based body powder as a “Group 2B” human carcinogen.

The Talc and Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-01027 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.