A talc powder lawsuit has been filed against Johnson & Johnson that claims the company’s Shower-to Shower product and Johnson’s Baby Powder caused a woman’s diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Plaintiffs Janet P. and Gary P., residents of Palestine, Illinois file the Johnson & Johnson talc powder lawsuit in the Superior Court of Rhode Island.

Plaintiff Janet P. alleges that she had regularly used the feminine hygiene products from 1970 until March 2016. She alleges that she had thought and was led to believe that the products would be safe to use. She was, however, diagnosed with ovarian cancer in January 2016 at 62 years old.

The plaintiff alleges that she “developed ovarian cancer and suffered effects … as a direct and proximate result of the unreasonably dangerous and defective nature of talcum powder and defendants’ wrongful and negligent conduct in the researching … developing … manufacturing … and selling of talcum powder,” the Johnson & Johnson talc powder lawsuit states.

According to the Johnson & Johnson talc powder lawsuit, Janet P. allegedly suffers and has incurred “medical expenses and endured pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.”

CVS Pharmacy, Inc., which runs the retail pharmacy locations where the couple allegedly purchased the products at issue, is also included as a defendant.

The Johnson & Johnson talc powder lawsuit specifically contends that the company had marketed their talcum products to women for use throughout their daily feminine hygiene routine.

The plaintiffs allege that studies have shown the connection between ovarian cancer and talcum powder. They allege that the defendants had known of those studies and the alleged correlation, but decided not to forewarn or advise their consumers of the potential risks involved in their use.

The couple alleges women have been using talc-based powders for personal hygiene for decades. As claimed in the lawsuit, plaintiff Janet P. was told the products were safe to use. But scientific evidence had allegedly suggested that the products were not safe.

In 1971, a study was conducted by Dr. W.J. Henderson and others in Cardiff, Wales that revealed talc particles in tissue sampled from ovarian tumors.

A further study conducted by Dr. Daniel Cramer in 1982 found that there was a “92 percent increased risk in ovarian cancer with women who reported genital talc use.”

To note, the doctor who had conducted that study met with Dr. Bruce Semple of Johnson & Johnson and advised him that the company should place warnings “on its talcum powders about the ovarian cancer risks, so that women can make informed decisions about their health,” the Johnson & Johnson talc powder lawsuit alleges.

According to the lawsuit, since 1982 there have been 22 studies providing data on the correlation between ovarian cancer and its association with talc powder use for feminine hygiene.

Johnson & Johnson currently denies that their talc products increase any risks in developing ovarian cancer. They also refuse to recall and add forewarning labels to their products.

The Johnson & Johnson Talc Powder Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-00184, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.