Talcum powder lawsuit alleges talcum powder use linked to ovarian cancer
In a suit filed against Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi US and a number of other talcum powder manufacturers, Motley Rice attorneys and co-counsel are asking why a common over-the-counter hygiene product that has been linked to an increased risk in ovarian cancer for more than 30 years has no warning about this risk on its label.
Filed on Nov. 5, 2014, the suit is being brought by the widower of a woman who used talcum powder in her genital area since childhood and later developed ovarian cancer, eventually passing away from the disease in 2012 at the age of 63.
Along with this failure to warn on talcum powder labeling, the talcum powder lawsuit claims that manufacturers represented that the product was safe and encouraged the use of these powders to mask odors. However, talcum powder—also known as baby powder, body powder and talc—has been shown to migrate to the ovaries when used around the exterior genitals, and a 2003 analysis showed “a statistically significant result suggesting a 33% increased risk of ovarian cancer with perineal talc use.”
The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for wrongful death, gross negligence, failure to warn and misrepresentation, among other allegations.
In other talcum powder cancer news, a 2014 investigation delved into additional potentially dangerous side effects of one particular brand of talcum powder, which found “that this product line has been consistently contaminated with asbestos-tainted talc derivatives,” indicating that talcum powder may also be associated with the increased risk of developing certain types of lung cancer. Specifically, the study states that “historic talcum powder exposure is a causative factor in the development of mesotheliomas and possibly lung cancers in women.”
If you used talcum powder and later developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, you may have a claim. Contact medical attorney Carmen S. Scott by email or at 1.800.768.4026 for more information.