Experts Are Unsure IfTalc By Itself Causes Cancer
Experts are also unsure if asbestos in talc can cause ovarian cancer like it causes mesothelioma
Friday, June 18, 2021 - The number of claims against Johnson & Johnson filed by women with ovarian cancer was estimated to be around 30,000. That number could be much higher now that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied the company‘s petition to challenge a 2018 Missouri Court decision that awarded 22 women plaintiffs a staggering sum of $4 billion. Plaintiffs can take comfort in knowing that the Supreme Court not only rejected the notion that the defendants were forthcoming with their warnings about the dangers of using talcum powder, but also that the company‘s behavior was considered reprehensible by the Missouri Court of Appeals judge who upheld the verdict while reducing the monetary damages by half on administrative grounds. Given the Supreme Court‘s decision, future Johnson‘s Baby Powder ovarian cancer cases like this one could also include multiple plaintiffs giving them the advantage of juries misinterpreting unusually large numbers of plaintiffs in one trial as an indication of the degree of the defendant‘s negligence (causality). Federal judges are moving forward with administrative proceedings and challenges to expert witnesses that may testify for both plaintiffs or the defendant. Visit talcum powder cancer lawsuit to learn more.
The first bellwether federal Johnson‘s Baby Powder trials could start later this year after about three years of state trials resulting in billions of dollars of jury awards to women with ovarian cancer who have alleged that using Johnson‘s Baby Powder for feminine hygiene has caused them to develop ovarian cancer. Many of the successful plaintiffs have died as a result of their disease. While all of this has been going on, the debate about whether or not talc, the main ingredient in Johnson‘s Baby Powder and hundreds of women‘s cosmetic products can cause cancer. WebMD and others think that there is little hard science to back up those claims. WebMD tells readers, "A study of more than 250,000 women between 1976 and 2017 found no significant link between women‘s use of talcum powder on their genitals and ovarian cancer. Still, scientists continue to study the topic. It may be that talc raises the risk for people in certain age groups or particular types of ovarian cancer." Other researchers think that particles of talc can become permanently trapped in the ovaries and cause sufficient oxidative stress and irritation over the years leading to cancer. Johnson & Johnson continues to tell consumers that their talc is safe, pure, and asbestos-free despite voluntarily pulling the product from sale in the United States and Canada and quietly replacing it with one made from corn starch.
The Food and Drug Administration may have finally taken responsibility to safeguard consumers from asbestos that lurks in talc. The watchdog agency tested and found asbestos, a known carcinogen, in bottles of Johnson‘s Baby Powder purchased from major retailers. The FDA has issued a warning for consumers to avoid products that contain talc. "On February 4, 2020, FDA held a public meeting on testing methods for asbestos in talc and cosmetic products containing talc. On October 18, 2019, the FDA updated the Safety Alert and issued a new Constituent Update warning consumers not to use certain cosmetic products tested positive for asbestos."
