When a product has the word “baby” in its name, people tend to assume the product is safe. However, baby powder, also sold as talc powder or talcum powder, has been linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer.

What is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer is a neoplasm or malignant growth in the ovaries. This means that the normal, healthy cells of the ovaries begin to divide uncontrollably. These cells can spread, or “metastasize” to use the medical term, throughout the body. Cancer cells interfere with healthy cells by competing for nutrients and physical blocking and pressing on healthy tissue. Ovarian cancer cells can spread by growing across adjacent tissues, or by spreading through the blood stream and lymphatic system. In the case of ovarian cancer, spreading through the blood stream and lymph nodes is less common.

Signs of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer can cause a variety of symptoms depending on the exact state of the cancer. The symptoms of ovarian cancer can include pelvic or abdominal pain, bloating, trouble eating or feeling full quickly, and having to urinate frequently. As the cancer advances, it may produce more general cancer symptoms, including weakness, fatigue, and general wasting.

Causes of Ovarian Cancer

All cancer can be ultimately traced to errors in the systems that govern cellular growth. However, any number of things can disrupt these processes. Tissues like the ovaries, which both produce and are regulated by a variety of hormones, have ample opportunity to have these systems disrupted.

Research dating back to the 1970s has found talcum powder in the ovaries of women who developed pancreatic cancer. However, more recent studies have discovered that women who use baby powder on their genitals have a 20% to 30% greater risk of developing ovarian cancer than women who do not. The working hypothesis is that the powder is able to migrate through the fallopian tubes into the ovaries, where it can disrupt the cell growth controls of ovarian cells. Other inorganic minerals, such as asbestos and silica, have been implicated as causing cancer through similar mechanisms.

Legal Action

Lawsuits have been filed by patients who developed ovarian cancer. These lawsuits allege that the manufacturers of baby powder and other talc products knew about the potential risks associated with the product, but continued to market them to the public to make a profit, in spite of the risk.

If you or a loved one developed ovarian cancer after using baby powder or other talcum powders, you’ve almost certainly been through a trying ordeal. Any cancer diagnosis is a serious medical condition, and typically requires massive medical costs, emotional strain, and lost income potential. When facing such a situation, many people feel overwhelmed, and lapse into depression.