TALCUM POWDER

TALCUM POWDER LITIGATION UPDATE: Johnson & Johnson has discontinued the sales of talc-based baby powder in North America

A recent verdict in New Jersey highlights a growing legal issue involving Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products that have possibly caused cancer in certain individuals.

A $117 million verdict was levied against Johnson & Johnson and a supplier after a man claimed his asbestos-related cancer was caused by long-term use of J&J’s Baby Powder.

Attorneys say there are thousands of similar cases in which J&J’s widely-used baby powder products have been called into question. Baby powder and talc are still used daily, and not may products have been recalled. Thus, the cancer risks are still present.

There are currently tens of thousands of cases claiming Johnson & Johnson baby powder and Shower to Shower products directly cause ovarian cancer because the talc may contain asbestos—a toxic substance that is known to cause mesothelioma cancer in people exposed for some duration of time.

Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati, Ohio product liability attorney, experienced in litigating mesothelioma and baby powder cancer lawsuit cases nationwide.

The Lyon Firm has experience in filing toxic exposure and product liability lawsuits against large American corporations. Contact Joe Lyon for a free consult and to discuss your legal options. 

Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits

Ovarian cancer, according to experts, may be caused by the use of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder products. Current litigation highlights the risks of using talcum powder in the genital areas for extended periods of time. Cancer settlements in Ohio and other states are likely if a plaintiff used talc products for many years and then developed ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women. This accounts for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. Scientists have studied the relationship between cancer and talcum powder since the 1980’s and have found significant correlation which indicates that genital talcum powder use increases the risk of ovarian cancer by 30%.

Several juries have concluded that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn that their popular baby powder and feminine hygiene products were linked to an increased ovarian cancer risk.

Talcum Powder Warnings

Despite studies which showed the increased risk of cancer associated with genital talc usage and understanding that their product was potentially dangerous, Johnson & Johnson did not take any action to notify consumers.

In fact, in an internal memo from a J & J consultant, the company was made aware that independent researchers had established a real, statistically significant association between talc usage and ovarian cancer. A new criminal investigation is underway that claims the company intentionally lied to consumers about the ovarian cancer risk of its products.

In light of such shocking findings, two separate juries found J&J guilty of negligence for failing to warn consumers of the risk of ovarian cancer associated with their products. At the time of publication around 19,000 cases have been filed against Johnson & Johnson regarding talc use and ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors

Ovarian cancer mainly develops in older women. In fact, the risk of developing any cancer gets higher with age. Most ovarian cancers develop after menopause and is rare in women younger than 40. About half the women diagnosed are 63 years or older.  It is more common in white women than African-American women.

Medical experts will say that some people are more predisposed to certain kinds of cancer, though ovarian cancer is generally not high on that list of genetic predisposition. The most common ovarian cancer risk factors may include:

• Obesity—obese women (those with a body mass index of at least 30) have a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.
• Fertility drugs—researchers have found that using fertility drugs may increase the risk for developing ovarian tumors.
• Talcum powder—talc applied directly to the genital area or on sanitary napkins may cause cancer. The longer the duration of talc exposure, the higher the risks for cancer development.
• Family history—cancer risk is increased if your mother, sister, or daughter has also had the disease.
• Breast cancer—a personal history with breast cancer may increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
• Late pregnancy—women who have their first full-term pregnancy after age 35 or who never carried a pregnancy to term have a higher risk of ovarian cancer.
• Estrogen or hormone therapy

Talc Cancer Settlements

Settlements this year have been very lucrative for plaintiffs, and it is unlikely that Johnson and Johnson will be able to try every talc cancer case. Settlements are likely in coming months or years. Victims are encouraged to come forward to seek their rightful compensation.

Lawyers involved in J&J baby power cancer lawsuit claims that internal company documents disclosed in a recent trial show that at some point baby powder had been contaminated with asbestos.

This information is pertinent in upcoming ovarian cancer trials in arguing that the company knew of asbestos contamination. Reportedly, the talc in J&J baby powder was contaminated by asbestos during the mining process.

Asbestos has been known since the 1970’s to cause cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have published a series of warnings that suggest even a small amount of asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma, lung cancer and other cancers.

Talcum Powder Studies

Dozens of published studies show that women who use talc powder like Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder product, have a 20 to 30 percent increased risk of developing a type of ovarian cancer.

In 1971 British researchers found talc particles “deeply embedded” in a high percentage of observed ovarian tumors. Once the scientific community realized that there might be a relationship between genital talc use and ovarian cancer researchers began to epidemiologically study the issue. Epidemiological studies examine the causes of diseases and the populations of individuals likely to have those diseases through surveys and analytics.

In 1982 the first published population study  was performed by group of doctors on behalf of the American Cancer Society. From 1982 to 1999 eleven more studies observed the relationship between talc use and ovarian cancer. Of those eleven studies, eight found a statistically significant association between talc and ovarian cancer which indicates that talc use increases the odds of ovarian cancer.

The three studies that did not find a significant increase in risk used smaller populations and reported a null result. In 1999 the International Journal of Cancer reported a finding, “there is a significant association between the use of talc in genital hygiene and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer that, when viewed in perspective of published data on this association, warrants more formal public health warnings.”

A study published in the medical journal Epidemiology analyzed the use of talc in over 4,000 women with and without ovarian cancer. The researchers found talcum powder use in the genital region may increase a woman’s risk for ovarian cancer significantly, especially when talc powder is used on a daily basis.

The American Cancer Society says before all the evidence can be clear about the cancer risks, it may be best to avoid or limit use of products containing talc. In front of Congress, a researcher at the University of Washington said she has reviewed the science linking the use of talc, identifying 38 epidemiological studies in the past 40 years that concluded using talc added increased risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer.

Talc Cancer Claims

J&J is now under criminal investigation for concealing the health risks of their baby powder products for decades. Attorneys say the company lied to the public about the safety of baby powder to increase their bottom line profit at the cost of thousands of consumers who later developed ovarian cancer.

Johnson & Johnson is a huge litigation target, primarily because the company manufactures and distributes a large line of health-related products. Exposure to talcum powder is simply a matter of degree for most people. Because of how widely used baby powder and other talc products are used, consumers deserve extensive testing of the products in question.

Baby Powder Cancer Lawsuits

In 2018, a St. Louis City jury awarded 22 plaintiffs $550 million in damages and $4.14 billion in punitive damages in a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson over talcum powder ovarian cancer cases. That verdict was crucial in all future talc cancer litigation, as it was the first multi-plaintiff talcum powder litigation decided in the United States.

The American Cancer Society predicts over 14,000 ovarian cancer deaths annually. There may be a number of causes, and toxic exposure can be added to that list. Talcum powder has been used by so many, and only recently have consumers thought twice about using it. A growing body of evidence links talc use to cancer. Much of the evidence is based on consumer usage rather than laboratory studies.

Several cosmetic talc products have been questioned, including dusting powder, baby powder, bath talc, and others. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed asbestos reports, but does not have the ability to test every cosmetic product.

Attorneys allege that Johnson & Johnson performed certain quality assurance tests on its talc, and that some samples tested positive for asbestos. Tests performed between 1970–2000 indicated that some samples might have contained trace elements of asbestos. Thus, the Department of Justice subpoenaed Johnson & Johnson for internal company documents about its knowledge of talc asbestos risks.