While there’s no scientific “smoking gun” evidence linking talcum powder to cancer, plaintiffs in hundreds of baby powder cancer lawsuits have taken it upon themselves to let the courts decide whether there’s a connection.

The active ingredient that helps talcum powderabsorb moisture is talc, which a naturally-occurring mineral.

Talc absorbs moisture and cuts down on friction, and those properties make it useful as a personal hygiene product.

Some talc in its natural form contains asbestos, a known carcinogen. All talc-based products sold in the United States are supposed to have been asbestos-free since the 1970s.

However, test results from a 1976 study conducted by Mount Sinai Hospital showed certain types of asbestos were found in 10- out-of-20 consumer products that use talc.

Talc and Ovarian Cancer

Some research suggests talc itself could be related to ovarian cancer. Studies from as early as the 1970s theorized that when talcum powder is applied near a woman’s genitals, talc particles may migrate all the way to the ovaries and lodge themselves in the ovarian tissue. In 1971, British researchers found talc particles embedded in 10 of 13 ovarian tumors examined.

A study published in the journal Cancer in 1982 showed an increased instance of ovarian cancer among women who reported regular use of talcum powder near the genital area.

Other studies conducted since then have also found statistically significant associations between perineal talcum powder use and ovarian cancer.

One study published in 1999 suggested talc could be causing as many as 10 percent of cases of ovarian cancer in the U.S. Results of all studies have been mixed, however.

Talcum Powder Lawsuits

Johnson & Johnson is now facing a series of baby powder cancer lawsuits, mostly in its’ home state of New Jersey.

In what’s likely the first such case, one plaintiff from South Dakota prevailed with a jury finding that J&J had been negligent by failing to warn consumers about the risk of ovarian cancer associated with its talcum powder. The jury awarded no damages, however.

The plaintiff in that case had been diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer in December 2006. At the time of her diagnosis, she had been using Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower powder since her teens.

She could not identify any other ovarian cancer risk factors in her health or history. Analysis of her ovarian tumor tissue revealed embedded talc particles.

Since the mixed result in South Dakota, many more plaintiffs have brought baby powder cancer lawsuits against J&J, most of which have been filed in Missouri or in J&J’s home state of New Jersey. About 700 claims have been filed so far. Some claims name as defendants Imerys Talc America Inc., one of J&J’s talc suppliers.

J&J maintains that there is no causal connection between its talcum powders and ovarian cancer. The company says that decades’ worth of scientific evidence show that talcum powder is a safe product.

Other Cancers

Other studies found that miners and millers who work in the talc extraction and processing industry may have an increased rate of lung cancer.

However, these studies can be confounded by the presence of other known carcinogens in those industries, such as asbestos and radon. According to the American Cancer Society, studies have not shown a link between cosmetic talcum powder and lung cancer.