Talcum Powder and Cancer
Cancer after the use of Talcum Powder?
If you used feminine hygiene products containing talc and subsequently developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma, you may wish to consider your legal options. You don’t let it define you. Now get help.
About Talc
Talc is a naturally occurring mineral comprised of magnesium, silicon, oxygen and hydrogen. Talcum powder is simply a mineral ground into a fine powder, and is often the main ingredient in many feminine hygiene products, including many powder based “freshening” items such as Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower.
Recent Settlement Updates
April 6, 2018—Johnson & Johnson and its talc supplier were ordered to pay $37 million in compensatory damages to a New Jersey man who claimed to have contracted mesothelioma, an incurable and deadly cancer. The lawsuit asserts that the plaintiff contracted the fatal cancer after using Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based products that contained asbestos. This verdict is Johnson & Johnson’s first trial loss linking its talc products to asbestos.
May 23, 2018— Johnson & Johnson is hit yet again with another talc asbestos verdict of $21.7 million. A woman claimed she developed mesothelioma after use of J&J talc products.
How Does Talc Cause Ovarian Cancer?
The American Cancer Society and the World Health Organization (WHO) started raising concerns about talc, the main ingredient in many feminine hygiene products, almost two decades ago. It is speculated that the link between talc and an increased risk of ovarian cancer has been known to manufacturers since 1961. Talc was originally implicated as a possible ovarian carcinogen because of its chemical resemblance to asbestos, a known cancer-causing mineral.
Because talc products are marketed as feminine hygiene products, the application of these items raise the risk of talc particles entering a woman’s body. This can lead to talc particles traveling to the ovaries where they cause irritation and eventually develop into ovarian cancer. Recent studies have shown an up to 30% increase in the risk of ovarian cancer from repeated use of talcum based products. According to Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Daniel Cramer, up to 10,000 women a year develop ovarian cancer from use of these feminine hygiene products.
Why Join this Lawsuit?
In 2013, a lawsuit was filed against Johnson & Johnson on behalf of South Carolina resident Deane Berg. After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006, doctors discovered talc particles in the cancerous tissue that were removed from her uterus. Lawyers representing the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson admitted in court that the company was aware of the link between their talcum powder products and ovarian cancer for years, but it was determined to be insignificant enough not to require a warning label. Deane Berg won the case, and the court determined that Johnson & Johnson was negligent due to the failure to properly label their products with a warning to consumers. Because of this failure, many women have needlessly suffered from talcum powder cancer.
Understand Your Legal Options
If you or someone you know contracted ovarian cancer from a repeated use of talcum based products, contact the experts at 1-800-LAW-FIRM for a free, confidential consultation. Fill out the form on the sidebar or dial 1-800-529-3476. Our attorneys will fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.