According to a recent talcum powder cancer lawsuit, Johnson & Johnson baby powder may cause ovarian cancer when used on the perineal area.

Plaintiff Teresa R. recently filed a talcum powder cancer lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, alleging that their talc based baby powder products caused her to develop ovarian cancer. The talcum powder cancer lawsuit also named Imerys Talc, which supplies talc to Johnson & Johnson for their baby powder products.

Johnson & Johnson baby powder, marketed as safe for babies, has also been used for decades to promote “freshness” and “comfort” on the skin. The products, including Shower to Shower baby powder, often encourage women to use them on the perineal area to control moisture and odor. Shower to Shower allegedly implements the slogan “A sprinkle a day keeps odor away,” and uses advertisements such as “Your body perspires in more places than just under your arms. Use SHOWER to SHOWER to feel dry, fresh, and comfortable throughout the day.”

Teresa alleges that the marketing for these products encourages women such as herself to use the talc based products for feminine hygiene. Teresa says she used Johnson & Johnson’s talc based products from 1968 to 2000 allegedly due to the influence of the products’ advertising.

However, in September 2015, Teresa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She alleges that her cancer diagnosis was due to her long term use of Johnson & Johnson’s talc based products.

Baby Powder Tied to Ovarian Cancer

The relationship between talc and ovarian cancer has been known for decades, according to the talcum powder cancer lawsuit. In 1971, the first ever of numerous studies was conducted which suggested that use of talc powder may be related to ovarian cancer.

In 1982, the first epidemiological study was performed specifically investigating ovarian cancer in relation to the use of talc powder on the female genital area. This study reportedly showed that women who used talc powder on their genital area were at a 92 percent increased risk for developing ovarian cancer.

Since the original studies, 27 additional studies have shown that talc powder usage increases the risk for ovarian cancer in women.

Regulatory agencies have since classified talc as a known carcinogen. In 2006, the International Association for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified talc as a Group 2B human carcinogen, meaning that there is a positive association between the substance and cancer, but the relationship is not fully confirmed or understood. In the same year, Canadian regulatory bodies classified talc as “very toxic” and a “cancer causing” substance.

Despite the wide range of evidence available, the defendants allegedly failed to warn consumers and instead encouraged consumers to continue using talc based products on the perineal area.

“The defendants procured and disseminated false, misleading, and biased information regarding the safety of the products to the public and used influence over governmental and regulatory bodies regarding talc,” the talcum powder cancer lawsuit claims.

Teresa’s talcum powder cancer lawsuit seeks a variety of compensatory damages, punitive damages, treble damages, general damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees, all in a sum larger than $75,000. The Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-02259 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.