Products: Talcum Powder

• Johnson & Johnson baby powder
• Shower to Shower powder
• Baby Magic baby powder

Use

Personal feminine hygiene product applied to the genital area used to reduce odor and absorb moisture.

The continual use of the products, Johnson & Johnson baby powder, Baby Magic body powder or the Shower to Shower applied between 1980 to present creates the greatest risk of ovarian cancer.

Related Injuries

• Ovarian cancer
• Death

Additional information regarding the talcum powder lawsuit

Talcum powder is seemingly as innocuous a product as can be imagined. The product has been in households in one form or another, since before most of us were born. We may have been exposed to it as infants in baby powder, it’s most common form. Its main properties are absorption of moisture and as a lubricant to reduce chafing from friction.

It is used as a feminine-hygiene product by approximately 40% of women in the U.S. as an after bath/shower treatment to absorb moisture. This direct perineal dusting may introduce the talc particles into a woman’s vagina, and from there to into the fallopian tubes and to the ovaries. The product is also used as a lubricant to dust such products as diaphragms, tampons and sanitary pads. It is estimated that 1 in 5 American women apply talcum powder to their genitals routinely.

Have you or a loved one used talcum powder and been diagnosed with ovarian cancer? Get help now.

(702) 444-4444

What is TALC?

The main ingredient in talcum powder is talc, a mineral which is also known as hydrous magnesium silicate, which is mined, crushed, dried, and milled into a powder form. The substance is made up of the ingredients magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. In its natural form, talc may contain asbestos which has known cancer causing properties when breathed into the lungs. All talcum products for home use in the United States have been asbestos-free since the 1970’s.

One of talc’s properties is that it is very resistant to break down. It takes years for a particle of talc to dissolve inside a human body. It was found in 1971 that talc was embedded in 75% of all ovarian tumors studied.

History of Research

A study whose findings were released in 1970 published in the medical journal, The Lancet, warns, “The potentially harmful effects of talc…in the ovary…should not be ignored.” In 1992, the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a study which found that regular use of baby power triples the risk of developing ovarian cancer. In 1997, a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that topical use of talcum powder and use of talcum-based genital deodorant sprays contribute to cancer growth. Other studies have been done which point to increases in ovarian cancer risk from talc use.

Most recently in June 2013, a study published in Cancer Prevention Research indicated that women who use talc products have a 20% to 30% higher risk of ovarian cancer than those who don’t.

The American Cancer Society indicates that the studies done have not been conclusive; however, they encourage women to use corn-starch based products, instead of talc based products.

Legal Action

In 2009, Deane Berg filed a case against Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Luzenac America and its parent company, Rio Tinto Materials, who mine and mill talc for J&J, for failure to warn her of the risks of ovarian cancer for which she was diagnosed in 2006. Testimony at the trial by Harvard’s Dr. Daniel Cramer, who had examined Ms. Berg, testified that he believes talcum powder causes nearly 10,000 cases of ovarian cancer every year. The jury found that J&J failed in its duty to warn the public of the cancer risks associated with its products, but awarded no liability.

Shortly before the conclusion of this trial, the Attorney General’s office of Mississippi subpoenaed information from J&J regarding marketing practices of talc products.

Nevada Talcum Products Liability Case

The Richard Harris Personal Injury Law Firm is handling talcum powder cancer lawsuits for women who used talcum powder and then developed ovarian cancer.  If you or a loved one were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had a history of talcum powder use, we want to evaluate your potential case.  Please call us for a no-cost consultation at (702) 444-4444, or complete our online Free Case Review Form.

Call us today if you know someone who used talcum powder or other harmful products and has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. 

(702) 444-4444