Talcum Powder

Talcum Powder Cancer | Odom Law Firm

On May 5, 2017 a St. Louis jury awarded a Virginia woman a record-setting $110.5 million in the latest talcum powder lawsuit alleging that using Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder caused cancer.

The jury ruling for 62-year-old Lois Slemp of Wise, Va., comes after three previous St. Louis juries awarded a total of $197 million to plaintiffs who made similar claims about talcum powder. Those cases, including the previous highest award of $72 million, are all under appeal. About 2,000 state and federal lawsuits are in courts nationwide over concerns about health problems caused by prolonged use of talcum powder.

The first baby powder cancer lawsuit was won in a South Dakota federal court in late 2013. Deane Berg, the plaintiff, sued Johnson & Johnson, Luzenac America and its parent company Rio Tinto Materials (talc mining companies) for negligence and failure to warn consumers of the risk of ovarian cancer from talcum powder dusting. Ms. Berg was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006, and had used Johnson & Johnson’s talc-based hygiene products including Shower to Shower on a daily basis for thirty years. The federal jury found that Ms. Berg’s use of baby powder contributed to her developing ovarian cancer. Three different doctors examined cancerous tissues from Ms. Berg and concluded that the presence of talc had caused her ovarian cancer to develop. The outcome of this trial gives hope to the tens of thousands of other women who have developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder. 

Baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuits can be filed by women and the families of women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and have a history of using talc-based products for genital hygiene. Talcum powder cancer lawsuits allege that Johnson & Johnson was aware of the studies linking baby powder to ovarian cancer yet chose not to warn consumers of the heightened risk.  

 

Talcum Powder FAQ

  • How do I know if my ovarian cancer was caused by talcum powder?

    In most cases, the doctors who provided you with ovarian cancer treatment focused on fighting the disease rather than looking for its cause. The same tissue samples and pathology reports that were used to diagnose the cancer and determine the best method of treatment can be examined now to determine whether your ovarian tissues contain talc fibers. By reviewing your medical records and sending your pathology reports to a talcum powder ovarian cancer expert, we can determine whether talc may have caused your ovarian cancer. Talc fibers can be found in the ovaries, fallopian tubes and in the pelvic lymph nodes for years after entering the female reproductive system. Talc fibers take years to disintegrate; in fact, intact fibers cause inflammation in the ovaries, which is believed to result in a higher rate of cancer. If talc fibers are present in your ovarian tissues, our researchers will detect them. Individuals who have used talcum powder or talc-based baby powder on a regular basis in the past are more likely to develop ovarian cancer.

  • How long have medical experts known there was a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer?

    As early as the 1970s medical researchers in the field of ovarian cancer detected talc fibers in the ovarian tissues of women diagnosed with cancer. In 2003, a meta-analysis examining research on 16 previous talcum powder ovarian cancer studies was published in Anticancer Research, confirming that weekly use of baby powder increases the risk of ovarian cancer by 33%. In 2008, a study examined the frequency of talcum powder use and rates of cancer, finding that women who use talcum powder on a daily basis have an even greater chance of developing ovarian cancer. In short, scientists and doctors have been aware of the link between baby powder and cancer for decades.

  • Who can make a baby powder cancer claim or file a talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuit?

    Women, or the family members of women, who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and have a history of using talcum powder products for perineal hygiene may have grounds to make a talcum powder cancer claim by filing a baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuit.

  • Does it cost anything for you to review my case?

    We will always listen to your circumstances and give you our analysis of your case without any cost or further obligation.

  • Who is most at risk for developing baby powder ovarian cancer?

    Many studies conducted over the course of the past four decades contribute to the body of research indicating the link between ovarian cancer and talcum powder use. Women who have used talc-based baby powder on a weekly basis face a 33% increase in their risk of developing ovarian cancer, and women who have used talcum powder on a daily basis are thought to face a 41% increase in risk for ovarian cancer.

  • What are the dangers of talcum powder ovarian cancer?

    Ovarian cancer is a deadly disease that is expected to cause approximately 14,000 fatalities this year. Few symptoms are likely to surface in the early stages of ovarian cancer, when it is easiest to treat. By the time symptoms of talcum powder ovarian cancer become apparent for many patients, the disease has spread beyond the ovaries and into other tissues and organs. Once the disease has spread, ovarian cancer becomes much more difficult to treat.

  • I feel we are not the type of people who sue; do we really need to file a lawsuit?

    If a member of your family suffered a serious injury or health problem as a result of a defective product or dangerous drug, long-term, or even life-long, medical care may be required. This could be incredibly expensive and since medical costs are continually rising, may be largely unknown at the time of settlement or trial. If a member of your family died due to a defective product or dangerous drug, no amount of money can undo that wrong. It is our hope that every defective product, drug or other medication lawsuit we file can serve to make the manufacturer take note of the loss and pain its product has caused. When that fails to make a company take action in the form of a product recall, greater warnings about its use and ultimately making safer products, we rely on their profit motivation to make them do the right thing. Unfortunately, in many cases it is only the fear of lawsuits and large settlements and verdicts that moves a company to become a better corporate citizen.

  • How much will it cost to file a baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuit?

    We will represent all involved in a talcum powder cancer lawsuit on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are never any legal fees unless we obtain compensation in your case. For a free no-obligation consultation please contact us and one of our attorneys handling baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuits will contact you to answer your questions.

  • How much time do I have to file a baby powder cancer lawsuit?

    Most states have talcum powder cancer lawsuit time limits; however, the majority of women having been diagnosed with ovarian cancer will fall within those time limits if they contact an attorney in the near future.

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 1970-2000

1970s: An article on ovarian cancer caused by talcum powder in The Lancet warns, “The potentially harmful effects of talc . . . in the ovary . . . should not be ignored.”


1981: Cramer, et al. Ovarian Cancer and Talc – A Case Control Study “It is especially notable that women who regularly had both dusted their perineum with talc and had used it on sanitary napkins had more than a threefold increase in risk compared to women with neither exposure.”


1989: Harlow, B. L (Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115), and N. S. Weiss. A case-control study of borderline ovarian tumors: the influence of perineal exposure to talc. Am J Epidemiol 1989;130:390-4.


“[W]omen who used deodorizing powders alone or In combination with other talc-containing powders had 2.8 times the risk (95% confidence Interval 1.1-11.7) of women who had not had perineal exposure to powder.”


1992: The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology publishes a study which finds that regular (weekly) use of baby powder increases a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer threefold.


1997: A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology affirms that perineal dusting of talcum powder contributes to the risk of cancer; it suggests talcum genital deodorant sprays contribute to cancer growth as well.

2000 - Present Day

2003: A meta-analysis, which compiles and reviews data from 16 previous studies, is published in Anticancer Research. Based on research with nearly 12,000 women, the study concludes that perineal baby powder use is associated with a 33% increase in ovarian cancer risk.


2008: Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Margaret Gates reaffirms that weekly use of talcum powder for perineal dusting increases the risk of ovarian cancer by 33%. Dr. Gates also asserts that daily use of a product such as Johnson & Johnson’s Shower to Shower talcum powder increases the risk of ovarian cancer by 41%.


2010: Dr. Gates, along with two other Harvard researchers, publishes a study in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention in which the role of talc particles in other endometrial cancer development was investigated. This study reinforces the notion that talc in baby powder is carcinogenic to humans. 


2015: Epidemiologist Roberta Ness, found that, “Talc use increased ovarian cancer by 30-60%.”


2016: In May 2016, Cancer Epidemiology published a study of black women who used talcum powder for genital hygiene. Compared to non-users, women who used talc had a 44% increased risk of ovarian cancer and the risk increased over time


Despite the findings from these studies, and recent court cases finding Johnson & Johnson at fault for failing to warn of the increased risk of ovarian cancer, Johnson & Johnson has yet to provide any such warning on its talcum powder products. Odom Law Firm is currently investigating cases of those affected by talcum powder. 

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