Possible Link Between Baby Powder and Cancer

Johnson’s Baby Powder is a staple in many Americans’ medicine cabinets. This popular talcum powder has been used for decades by millions of consumers without a second thought. However, studies have suggested that there may be a link between the genital use of talcum powder and ovarian cancer. Johnson & Johnson, the consumer products giant that manufactures Johnsons’ Baby Powder, claims that the research is flawed. Yet, many find the information hard to ignore when the results suggest that the talc particles found embedded in patients’ cervical and ovarian tumors may have caused the cancer.

In 1982, a group of Harvard researchers compared 215 women who had ovarian cancer with a control group of 215 women who did not have cancer. When compared with nonusers, women who used talcum powder were at almost twice the risk for having ovarian cancer. The women who used talcum powder regularly, either on their genitals or on sanitary pads, were at three times the relative risk of having ovarian cancer. In addition, when researchers collected the pooled study results involving close to 20,000 women, the use of talcum powder was associated with a 24 percent increased risk for ovarian cancer.

The Research Raises Questions About Talcum Powder

Considering the fact that talcum powder is not a product that is necessary to use, an epidemiologist with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle questions why people would use it, particularly in the genital area, if there is even a small chance that it could cause cancer. Studies show that talc can travel up the genitourinary tract and become embedded in ovarian tissue. At the very least, this can cause inflammation, which is believed to contribute to the development of cancer in the ovaries.

Thousands of women have filed talc powder cancer lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson.  And, in the first cases, at least two juries agree with the science.  They awarded $55 million dollars and $72 million dollars to woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer who regularly used J&J Baby Powder.

Despite these recent multi-million dollar verdicts against J&J, the company stands by its trademark baby powder, claiming that it is perfectly safe and that it does not cause cancer.

Philadelphia Product Liability Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP Represent Women in Talc Powder Cancer Lawsuits

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, and you have used talcum powder on a regular basis, contact the Philadelphia products liability lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP so that we may thoroughly examine the details of your case and provide the experienced legal counsel you need. With offices conveniently located in Philadelphia, Reading, and Bethlehem, we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For a confidential consultation, call us today at 800-222-8792 or contact us online.