A growing number of women are filing baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuits against baby powder maker Johnson & Johnson.

Recently, plaintiff Judith H., a resident of Illinois, filed a baby powder lawsuit claiming Johnson & Johnson withheld information linking their talc based baby powder products to ovarian cancer.

The baby powder cancer lawsuit filed in January names Johnson & Johnson, Talc America Personal Care Produce Council and Walgreens as defendants — the companies responsible for manufacturing and marketing the talc-based product.

Johnson & Johnson baby powder is widely used by women for feminine hygiene purposes. The powder is often applied to a woman’s genital region to help prevent excessive moisture and unwanted smells.

Judith began using Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder for feminine hygiene purposes back in 1964 and continued using the product until 2013. Judith’s baby powder lawsuit alleges that Johnson & Johnson baby powder is the cause of her recent diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Judith is pursing various consumer protection claims against Johnson & Johnson and the other named defendants in her baby powder cancer lawsuit. These claims include strict liability, failure to warn, negligence, breach of warranty and civil conspiracy.

Overview of Baby Powder Lawsuits

Some researchers suggest that talcum powder based products may be responsible for thousands of cancer cases diagnosed each year. Evidence suggests that talc particles found in baby powder products such as Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder and Shower-to-Shower body powder may migrate from outside the vagina into to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries causing tumors and ovarian cancer in some regular users.

The baby powder lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson claim that research linking talc and ovarian cancer has been available to the manufacturers for years but the company failed to warn users of the potential risk and continued to market the product for feminine hygiene purposes.

Plaintiffs bringing baby powder lawsuits allege that studies from 1970s show evidence of talc embedded in ovarian tumors. Although Johnson & Johnson warns users to avoid contact with the eyes as well as the inhalation of the powder, no warning exists concerning feminine hygiene use.

Talc powder has been labeled a “possible carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The agency suggests that women concerned about the ovarian cancer risk should use cornstarch based products in place of powders made with talc.

A 2013 study suggests that women who use talc based products for feminine hygiene purposes have a 20 percent to 30 percent higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.

In 2014, over 21,900 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer. While the number of ovarian cancer cases linked to talc powder is unknown, a study found that out of a pool of 8,525 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer, nearly a quarter of those women used talc-based powders for feminine hygiene purposes on a regular basis.

Baby powder lawsuits are being brought by various plaintiffs across the nation. Some plaintiffs are the direct victims of ovarian cancer and others are family members who have lost loved ones allegedly due to baby powder cancer.

Like Judith’s baby powder cancer lawsuit, these lawsuits usually allege that manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson failed to warn the medical community and general public of the increased risk of ovarian cancer associated with using talc powders.