While some in the medical community continue to debate whether or not Talcum Powder, also known as Baby Powder, may cause ovarian cancer, two recent lawsuits suggest it does cause ovarian cancer.
The link between ovarian cancer and talcum powder was first discovered in 1971 in a study that revealed talc particles, the main ingredient used in Baby Powder, were found in the ovarian tissue of cancer patients.
This was the first instance in which medical professionals realized women were at risk when using the powder on their genitals, sanitary pads, diaphragms, and in condoms. Talc particles easily made their way into the vagina and were able to travel deeper into the reproductive organs. One sample study demonstrated the ability of carbon particles to travel through the vagina and into the fallopian tubes in as little as 30 minutes, leading researchers to believe the same was possible with talc particles.
This study and subsequent studies are now at the heart of lawsuits filed against Johnson and Johnson, the makers of Baby Powder.
Two juries earlier this year decided against the company and awarded multi-million dollar settlements to two people who once used Baby Powder and developed ovarian cancer.
In February 2016 a Missouri jury ordered Johnson and Johnson to pay Jacqueline Fox’s family $72 million in actual and punitive damages. Fox filed a lawsuit against the company after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer three years ago. One juror said Johnson and Johnson should have done more to warn consumers.
“They could have at least put a warning label on the box but they didn’t. They did nothing.”
In May 2016 another jury decided against Johnson and Johnson and awarded $55 million to a woman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using Baby Powder for feminine hygiene for nearly 40 years.
There are several hundred other Baby Powder lawsuits pending against Johnson and Johnson. Our office is currently investigating talcum powder lawsuits from across the country. If you or a loved one suffered from ovarian cancer after using baby powder for feminine hygiene, contact our office immediately.