Cancer is one of the most feared diseases in the United States. One group of cancers, collectively termed ovarian cancer, is a particular concern. In an unsettling twist, baby powder may be a major cause of ovarian cancer. As a result, an investigation has been launched to explore the possibility of filing a class action lawsuit against certain baby powder manufacturers.

What is Ovarian Cancer?

All cancers are diseases where cells lose the ability to control their growth. These cells grow dangerously, invading other tissues. When cancer cells spread, they are said to metastasize. Cancer damages other tissues by out-competing with them for nutrients, physically damaging them, or blocking blood vessels. Cancer cells typically absorb nutrients and oxygen more quickly than healthy cells, since cancer cells grow more rapidly. It can be difficult to treat cancer, since cancer cells are still similar to regular cells. Thus, it is very difficult to find treatments that target cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue.

In ovarian cancer, the tissues of the ovary are the starting point of cancer. Since these cancers start out as ovarian cells, they may continue to produce hormones, just as the ovary does. This can cause hormone-related symptoms, like abnormal mood. However, many cases of ovarian cancer produce few symptoms, or vague symptoms until the cancer has progressed considerably.

How Common is Ovarian Cancer?

According to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER), there were 20,460 new cases of ovarian cancer in 2009 in the United States. More than half of these cases (14,436) were expected to end in the patient’s death. Since it takes several years to ensure that all cases and deaths are reported and analyzed, SEER data is only available to the public through 2009. However, projected estimates are available through 2013. According to projections, there were 22,240 estimated new cases of ovarian cancer in the United States in 2013, and 14,030 estimated deaths.

According to statistics collected from SEER, the American Cancer Society and other organizations, 1 out of 72 women are expected to develop ovarian cancer within their lifetime. One out of 100 women are expected to die from it. This translates to a new woman being diagnosed with ovarian cancer every 24 minutes in the United States alone.

Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Link?

It has been alleged that a prevalent type of baby powder could be a major cause of ovarian cancer. Baby powder is typically made from either cornstarch or talc, a mineral. Talc-based baby powder has been linked by several studies—and allegations from class action lawsuits—to an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Early research dating back to the 1970s found that roughly 75 percent of ovarian cancers had talc embedded in them. However, this did not necessarily demonstrate a causal relationship. More recent studies have found stronger evidence of a talc-based baby powder ovarian cancer link. A 2013 published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research found a 20 to 30 percent increase in a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer if she used talc-based baby powder on her genitals. This has led to a class action lawsuit investigation to explore the possibility of legal action against the manufacturers of various types of baby powder.