New Study Finds Connection Between Baby Powder Use and Ovarian Cancer
Research published in May supports the claims of women suing Johnson & Johnson (J&J), who allege their use of the company’s asbestos-contaminated baby powder leads to the development of cancer. Though the company denies it’s responsible, they have offered billions of dollars to settle these lawsuits.
The analysis was done by National Institutes of Health researchers and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. They found the use by women of talc powder on their genitals was associated with the development of ovarian cancer. Researchers state the association was stronger when powder use was more frequent and for longer periods, reports NBC News.
Study Finds Ovarian Cancer More Likely If Talcum Powder Used
Researchers used survey data from the Sister Study, which involved more than 50,000 women from 2003 to 2009. Participants joined when they were from 35 to 74 years old. Each had a sister diagnosed with breast cancer, which could increase their risk for breast or ovarian cancer.
They were asked how often they used talc powder on their genitals when they were 10 to 13 years old and in the year before joining the study. A follow-up survey asked about their lifetime talcum powder use. Researchers estimate that up to 56% of the participants used talc powder on their genitals at some point in their lives.
The analysis doesn’t prove talcum powder causes ovarian cancer, and it doesn’t identify a brand or chemical creating the association. It states that the longer and more frequent the use of baby powder, the likelihood of ovarian cancer increases.
Scientific Tug of War in the Courtroom
The burden is on the plaintiffs to prove that it’s more likely than not that the baby powder caused ovarian cancer. Both sides point to studies claiming there is, and isn’t, a link between the two. Without making the case that there is a link, plaintiffs’ cases will be dismissed. The defense may use research published in 2020 that found no statistically significant association.
Plaintiffs may point out the study wasn’t designed to detect small changes in risk since it didn’t include questions to women about their lifetime powder use or consider those involved in surveys might not correctly remember their past habits. The most recent study covers those issues.
Hanging over J&J is evidence from a 2018 Reuters investigation stating the company was aware some of its baby powder was contaminated with asbestos as early as the 1970s. J&J denies asbestos, which is known to cause several cancers, was ever in its products.
More Than 50,000 Lawsuits Filed Against J&J
Legal claims started in 1999 when a plaintiff alleged her lifetime use of talc contaminated with asbestos caused her mesothelioma. A similar lawsuit started ten years later.
Since then, about 50,000 claims covering ovarian cancer and mesothelioma have been filed against J&J. Most of the lawsuits are pending in a single federal court in New Jersey. A trial is scheduled for December.
J&J claims its talc products are safe and denies they ever contained asbestos (its baby powder now contains corn starch instead of talc). The company’s defenses include that studies don’t show a credible link between using its product and ovarian cancer.
Last year, J&J offered $8.9 billion to settle these cases, and that dropped to nearly $6.5 billion this year, but there are strings attached. At least 75% of the plaintiffs have to agree, and cases would need to come under a bankruptcy court’s jurisdiction.
J&J has failed twice to resolve these lawsuits in a New Jersey federal bankruptcy court. In 2021, the company set up a subsidiary that would assume liability for talc-related lawsuits and fund them. But bankruptcy protection is for businesses in financial distress, and courts have ruled that’s not the case. The subsidiary is a corporate “fall guy” created to shield a profitable company from liability.
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If you’re diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition, you may be entitled to compensation. Satterley & Kelley, PLLC attorneys are your boots on the ground if you or a family member in Kentucky has mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease. Call our Louisville office at 855-385-9532 or use our contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.