A woman alleges her talc uses over the years resulted in her diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Plaintiff Rena K. said she used Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower powders from 1968 through 2008. Rena says she was diagnosed with her talc uses injury in May 2016 after using the talcum powders on her genitalia for 40 years.

Rena’s talc uses lawsuit joins a multidistrict litigation that names Johnson & Johnson, Imerys Talc America Inc., and Personal Care Products Council as defendants.

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral made of magnesium, silcon and oxygen. Decades ago, talc in its powdered form was discovered to absorb moisture.

The mineral became known as an effective agent to prevent rashes and reduce friction. Talc uses on babies’ bottoms was used for years to treat and prevent diaper rash. In the late 1960s, Johnson & Johnson began promoting talc uses to women for personal hygiene.

Imerys Talc mined the talc used in Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products, including Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower. The Personal Care Products Council is a trade association that represents the personal care and cosmetics industry and has impacted the regulation and marketing of talc-based body powders. Both Imerys and Johnson & Johnson are active members of the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC).

Talc Uses and Ovarian Cancer

In 1971, researchers found talc particles inside ovarian and cervical tumors of patients who had a history of talc uses on their genital areas. These scientists in Wales theorized that small talc crystals enter the genitourinary tract and eventually enter the peritoneal cavity. Because the ovaries are open-ended in the peritoneal cavity, the talc crystals theoretically enter the ovaries where they become embedded and irritate the surrounding tissue.

In 1982, Dr. Daniel W. Cramer followed up with a comparison of 215 patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer with a control group of 215 healthy women. Dr. Cramer found that women with talc uses on their genital area were nearly twice as apt to develop ovarian cancer. Women who also admitted talc uses on their feminine napkins in addition to their genital area appeared to be at more than three times the risk of ovarian cancer than non-users.

According to the talc uses multidistrict litigation, a minimum of 27 other studies have linked talcum powder use with an increased risk of ovarian cancer.

Despite the studies’ findings, Johnson & Johnson allegedly continued to advertise Johnson’s Baby Powder as “clinically proven gentle and mild” and targeted women with the marketing words, “for you, use every day to help feel, soft, fresh, and comfortable.”

Johnson & Johnson allegedly continued to market Shower to Shower Powder to women with the jingle, “A sprinkle a day helps keep odor away; have you had your sprinkle today?”

According to the American Cancer Society, 22,240 women will become newly diagnosed  with ovarian cancer in the United States in 2018; nearly 14,070 women will die from ovarian cancer this year.

The Talc Uses Lawsuit is Case 3:18-cv-05907-FLW-LHG and is part of the Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder MDL, In re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation,MDL 2738, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.