A woman has filed a lawsuit, claiming her use of Shower to Shower powder caused her to develop ovarian cancer.

Plaintiff Nancy A. says she used either Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder or Shower to Shower powder on her perineal area from the time she was a baby. Both products are made by Johnson & Johnson. Nancy was 49 years old when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in June 2007.

Her lawsuit names Johnson & Johnson, Imerys Talc America, Inc., and the Personal Care Products Council as defendants.

Allegations Involving Shower to Shower Powder

Both Shower to Shower and Johnson’s Baby Powder contain talc, an organic mineral mined by Imerys Talc, formerly known as Luzenac America, Inc. Imerys allegedly “has continually advertised and marketed talc as safe for human use.”

Johnson & Johnson has historically advertised its Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower Powder as products women could use to help skin feeling dry and comfortable and that the products were “clinically proven gentle and mild.”

Nancy says that Shower to Shower was marketed directly to women with a campaign that said, “A sprinkle a day keeps odor away.” Advertising messages allegedly told women they perspire in more places than just under their arms and that “Shower to Shower can be used all over your body.”

Nancy argues her use of the talc-based powders on her perineum for feminine hygiene purposes for decades “was an intended and foreseeable” use of the powders based on labeling, promotions and advertising, according to Nancy’s lawsuit.

According to Nancy and many other plaintiffs like her, decades of medical research have revealed evidence of a link between talc and cancer. In 1971, Dr. W. J. Henderson and his team conducted the first study that suggested a link between talc-based powders and ovarian cancer.

Dr. Daniel Cramer followed up in 1982 with a study that that indicated women who used talc on their female genital area had a 92 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer compared with women who never used it. Dr. Cramer reportedly recommended that Johnson & Johnson should place a warning label on their talc-based powders to allow women to make an informed decision before using the powders.

More than 27 other studies have provided data indicating an association between the use of talc-based powders on the perineum and ovarian cancer.

In 1993, talc was determined to be a carcinogen by the United States National Toxicology Program.

In response to that determination, the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA), now known as the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), allegedly reconvened the Talc Interested Party Task Force (TIPTF). According to the Shower to Shower lawsuit, the TIPTF was formed in the 1980s to defend talc in response to those initial epidemiologic findings that indicated a link between ovarian cancer and talc use.

The TIPTF’s primary contributors allegedly were Johnson & Johnson and Luzenac (Imerys Talc), who fought against regulation of the talc industry. The TIPTF allegedly hired researchers to present biased findings, and members of TIPTF allegedly edited scientific reports prior to their submission to governmental agencies.

The Shower to Shower lawsuit alleges, “Members of the TIPTF knowingly released false information about the safety of talc to the consuming public, and used political and economic influence on regulatory bodies regarding talc.”

The Shower to Shower Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-01512-RC in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.