Talcum powder is used in many household products like baby powder and facial powder because it helps absorb moisture and reduce friction.
Research connecting the continued use of talc products with ovarian cancer risk means it is possible to file a talcum powder lawsuit if you or a loved one has been affected by certain cancers due to talc powder use.
We’ll run through all of the details so that you can be well informed about the possible link between talc powder and ovarian cancer.
How Common is Ovarian Cancer?
The chance of a woman developing ovarian cancer is 1.3%, and research suggests that using talcum powder increases a woman’s chance of developing ovarian cancer by 30%, for a 1.7% total risk.
The risk may seem small, but ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal cancers for women: it is three times more deadly than breast cancer and accounted for 4.4% of all cancer-related deaths among women in 2018.
What Makes Talcum Powder Dangerous?
Talc is an ingredient in talcum powder, a mineral often found alongside asbestos. Talc is mined and can become contaminated with asbestos as a result. Prolonged use of talc products ends up causing those exposed harm over time. In addition to the usual link with mesothelioma, asbestos is thought to raise ovarian cancer risks.
Does Talcum Powder cause Ovarian Cancer?
While scientific studies are still working on this, there is some evidence that links talcum powder and ovarian cancer. The majority of studies suggest that if there is any association between using talc and ovarian cancer, the risk is for epithelial ovarian cancer – which accounts for 90% of all ovarian cancers.
The risk of cancer is due to chrysotile asbestos, a type of asbestos found in talc. Prolonged asbestos exposure is known to cause cancer. Some evidence also shows that talcum powder may increase the risk of cervical cancer, but this is less conclusive than the data regarding epithelial ovarian cancers.
Understanding the Talcum Powder and Asbestos Health Risk
Evaluating the risk levels for talcum powder use can be difficult for a few reasons. Although researchers now understand that prolonged exposure can increase the risk of certain cancers, especially when inhaled, it can be challenging to know how much asbestos a given product contains.
Difficulty in Determining Asbestos Exposure Events
Malignant mesothelioma, a type of cancer, is usually found in the lungs of workers who have worked in talc deposits or other settings where talc and asbestos were commonly used. These situations offer a more straightforward understanding of how much asbestos they came into contact with to develop lung cancer.
Comparatively, determining ovarian cancer risk is more complex. This is because many personal care products contain talc. Small amounts of asbestos can be found in talcum powder, and the amount found in different products can vary widely.
Difficulty in Determining Source of Asbestos Exposure
It may be the case that one company’s talc products contain contaminated talc, while similar products developed by a different company do not. With a few exceptions, understanding the risks is difficult to give a specific company or product since not all have overall test results.
How Does Talcum Powder Cause Ovarian Cancer?
Talcum powder can lead to ovarian cancer by allowing the mineral to travel into the body at the point of use and inflame the Fallopian tubes and ovaries in a manner that results in cancer, after prolonged usage.
This is a problem because, in many cases, talc products are meant for use in the genital area. Asbestos exposure in the genital area can lead to tumors and a specific type of cancer known as epithelial ovarian cancer. In this type of cancer, cancer cells cover the outer surface of the ovary.
Epithelial ovarian cancer is sometimes benign, meaning it does not spread throughout the body or invade nearby tissue; however, many instances are harmful.
While the scientific details can get much more complicated, the key thing to remember is for talcum powder to cause ovarian cancer asbestos has to make direct physical contact with the genital region.
Ovarian Cancer and Talcum Powder Studies
Studies are still being done here, but some evidence suggests talcum powder and similar products may increase the chance of ovarian cancer. Many have found some relationship between talc-based products and ovarian cancer, although the amount of risk has varied between studies.
Many of these studies focused on individuals who used talc in several genital hygiene products. This means their genital region had direct physical contact with talc.
Some studies link perineal talc use and ovarian cancer, and more specific analyses of the molecular basis support the association of talcum powder with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Some studies found a small increased risk, while others found a significant risk after continued use.
Talcum Powder and Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits
The regular use of Talcum powder leads to an increased risk of cancer. As a result, many lawsuits have been won against companies because their products were found to be responsible for the development of particular cancers.
One of the most common of these occurring lawsuits has been due to traces of asbestos found in Johnson & Johnson baby talc products.
As of October 2024, there are currently 58,052 talcum powder lawsuits awaiting resolution in multidistrict litigation (MDL 2738) in the federal court of New Jersey.
These individuals have filed lawsuits related to the use of Johnson & Johnson products or ovarian cancer. Each lawsuit may focus on a unique product such as baby powder, a specific company, or an outcome that a particular population has experienced. The result for each case will vary depending on each of these factors.
