The alleged connection between ovarian cancer and talcum powder is the basis of new litigation that has commenced in the city of Calgary, Alta. What has now been certified as a class action lawsuit has named New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson as defendant, claiming that asbestos-contaminated talc used in two of the company’s products were the cause of ovarian cancer contracted by the plaintiffs.

The Lead Plaintiff’s Story

The class representative states that she started using Shower to Shower when she was 13 years of age, continuing for the next 23 years. When she was 36, she was diagnosed with large tumors in her ovaries; removal required two surgeries.

That was over 20 years ago. However, she was unable to make the connection between her ovarian cancer and talcum powder used in Shower to Shower until a family member directed her attention to a news report on litigation against Johnson and Johnson. That did not happen until 2017.

Defendant Johnson & Johnson now stands accused of having knowledge of asbestos contamination of its talc, of denying the existence of said contamination and marketing and selling a product it knew to have inherent health risks when used according to directions.

The Evidence

Talc, from which talcum powder is made, is a silicate mineral with a chemical makeup similar to asbestos and formed by similar geologic processes. It is not uncommon to find deposits of these minerals in close proximity.

In December of 2018, investigations appearing on Reuters and in the New York Times alleged that Johnson & Johnson had been aware of asbestos contamination since the early 1970s and earlier and went to great lengths to conceal those dangers from the public. Part of the evidence consisted of internal memos in which executives at the company expressed concerns about the presence of asbestos fibers in the talc used for Baby Powder.

The Defendant Responds

In response to the ongoing allegations, Johnson & Johnson maintains a website, titled “The Facts on Talcum Powder,” which has been intended to allay consumer fears about ovarian cancer and talcum powder. Among other claims, the website claims that talc is safe and does not cause cancer. By this, the defendant means that “our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos.” Johnson & Johnson also claims that “our talc has also been tested and confirmed to be asbestos-free by a range of independent laboratories and universities.”

Ovarian Cancer and Talcum Powder Verdicts

In August 2018, a jury in St. Louis ordered Johnson and Johnson to pay almost $5 billion in compensatory and punitive damages to 22 plaintiffs who had claimed that asbestos contamination in the defendant’s product caused them to contract ovarian cancer. Other cases have alleged that talc itself is carcinogenic, a conclusion that was supported by a recent scientific study.

Plaintiffs in the current Canadian class action are seeking $11 million in “general and punitive damages” on behalf of all class members who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer after having used the defendant’s products.