Talcum baby powder has been a popular product used for decades by hundreds of thousands of women for feminine hygiene. Now, new research shows an apparent link between talcum powder used in the genital area and ovarian cancer.

New research presented at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Cancer Association for Cancer Research showed regular use of baby powder for feminine hygiene can increase your risk of ovarian cancer by about 30%. Frequent, long-term use doubled or even tripled that risk.

Women often apply baby powder to their perineum area after showering to keep skin dry and avoid yeast infections and other maladies. Medical experts explain that talc particles can move through the vagina, into the fallopian tubes and up to the ovaries, where they can create cancerous tumors.

While medical evidence of this talcum powder ovarian cancer link varies, Johnson & Johnson is facing a number of baby powder class action lawsuits and personal injury lawsuits from women who used Johnson’s baby powder and Shower to Shower talc powder products. These Johnson’s baby powder lawsuits claim the company knew — or should have known — about the risk of ovarian cancer from using talcum powder in the genital area due to various medical studies, but failed to warn consumers.

One of the most prominent talcum powder ovarian cancer studies was released in December 1999 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which was a collaborative inquiry by various medical experts. This study was called the “Nurse’s Health Study,” and observed 121,700 registered nurses in the United States who were between the ages of 30 to 55 who were frequent users of talcum powder in the perineum area. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a higher likelihood of ovarian cancer among perineal talcum powder users.

The study started in 1982 with the selection of all registered nurses who were living in 11 of the larger states of the country, who were sent a medical questionnaire. After exclusions were made, 78,630 women had qualified for the study. Women who did not respond to the study or were were diagnosed with certain cancers before 1982 were excluded to reduce medical ambiguity. Follow-up studies were sent every two years to keep up with the subjects’ health and exposure to certain substances or disease.

Specifically, the cases had been consolidated based on women who reported being diagnosed with ovarian cancer or who were deceased from ovarian cancer. The subjects’ family history and medical records were analyzed, and it was found that each of the women had used talcum powder in their perineal area at some point before their ovarian cancer diagnosis.

Overall this study lasted until June 1, 1996, and resulted in 307 cases of ovarian cancer out of the 78,630 cases observed. While there were several hundred cases of ovarian cancer reported, researchers determined the numbers were not enough to prove any connection between ovarian cancer and talcum powder. However, the scientists did say there may be a minuscule risk of ovarian cancer development, based on the results.

As of now, some medical experts agree that there is a possible connection between perineal talcum powder use and ovarian cancer. However, the same experts also state that even if there is a connection, the risk is most likely very minimal.

Overview of Baby Powder Danger

Talcum powder was initially accused of causing ovarian cancer in women due to its chemical composition which is similar to asbestos, a carcinogen that that’s linked to numerous forms of cancer.

Researchers have found that women who apply talcum powder to their genital area have a nearly 30% greater chance of developing ovarian cancer compared to women who do not. This is a highly disturbing statistic to doctors in the United States, considering that 40% of all American women regularly use talcum powder on their genitals.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 21,980 women will develop ovarian cancer in the United States in 2014, with 14,270 of these women succumbing to it.

This apparent baby powder danger had been unknown for decades by healthcare providers and consumers are alike, potentially putting thousands of women at risk. A number of women have filed baby powder cancer lawsuits against manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson for allegedly failing to warn them about the risk of ovarian cancer.