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Talcum Powder Lawsuit

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Talcum Powder Cancer Lawyer

As part of a daily hygiene routine, millions of females have used Johnson & Johnson’s Shower to Shower and talcum powder products. According to recent court documents and scientific studies, women who regularly use Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder for hygienic purposes have an increased risk of developing mesothelioma or ovarian cancer due to the product containing asbestos, a well-known carcinogen.

While the company has had these findings for several years, they have denied these allegations and are currently facing lawsuits claiming that their talcum powder products have caused cancer among its users. Women who have received ovarian cancer diagnoses will need legal representation through a talcum powder cancer lawyer.

2020 Update: sales of Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder have been discontinued in the United States. Despite the thousands of lawsuits filed by patients who claimed that the baby powder caused their cancers, the product defended and defined Johnson & Johnson’s image as a wholesome company. After more than a century, Johnson & Johnson ceased carrying these products that were once deemed pure and gentle for babies.

The company announced on May 19, 2020. Existing bottles of its baby powder will remain on store shelves until they eventually run out. Its talc-based baby powder will continue to be sold in other countries, while its cornstarch-based baby powder will continue to be sold in America.

Talcum Powder (Baby Powder)

Otherwise known as baby powder, a generic term used for talcum powder, it is made from talc, a mineral composed of oxygen, silicon, and magnesium. Talc cuts down on friction and is absorbent in powder form. It also prevents rashes and keeps skin dry.

However, talc, in its most natural form, contains the cancer-causing substance asbestos, which has long been known to cause cancers around and in the lungs when inhaled. In 1976, the trade association representing the personal care and cosmetics products industry, the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrances Association (CTFA), issued new guidelines and standards stating that any talc used in cosmetics in the U.S. should not contain measurable amounts of asbestos.

The following concerns were addressed regarding a possible link between cancer and talcum powder:

  • Whether women who used the talcum powder regularly in the genital area had an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
  • Whether people exposed to talc particles at work long-term, including talc miners, had an increased risk of lung cancer from breathing them in.

Women have used the powder on their genitals and undergarments for over a century to absorb moisture and reduce friction. For years, Shower to Shower was marketed especially for use around and on genitals whenever people suffered from discomfort in sensitive areas. An overwhelming amount of evidence suggests that baby powder, or other talcum-based products containing asbestos, are not as safe to use as people once thought.

Ovarian Cancer Linked to Talcum Powder

Several international and national agencies study carcinogens (substances that help cancers grow) to see if they can be linked to cancer. These organizations work with the American Cancer Society to evaluate the risks based on evidence from human, animal, and laboratory studies.

The primary goal of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is to identify substances that may cause cancer.

  • IARC classifies genital (perineal) use of talcum body powder as “possibly cancerous to humans,” based on limited evidence from human studies linking the products to ovarian cancer.
  • The IARC classifies inhaled talc that doesn’t contain asbestos as “non-carcinogenic to humans,” based on limited data from animal studies and the lack of data from human studies.
  • Talcum powders that contain asbestos are “cancerous to humans,” as classified by the IARC.

Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits

Women have used talcum powder for decades for the absorption of moisture and hygienic use. Shower to Shower was marketed and used directly to help with discomfort in sensitive areas.

Several medical studies have indicated that there may be a link between the development of ovarian cancer and the use of talcum powder for hygienic purposes. The possibility of developing ovarian cancer is around 35%.

Several talcum powder brands are facing lawsuits, including:

  • Shower to Shower
  • Gold Bond Medicated Powder
  • McKesson Baby Powder
  • Nivea Pure Talc
  • Clubman Pinaud Talc
  • Johnson & Johnson

The following groups of people may be affected by asbestos-contaminated talcum powders and talc, including:

  • Children who were exposed to baby powders for sanitary purposes
  • Consumers that used baby powder and talcum powder products
  • People who worked in Johnson & Johnson talc mines and talc miners

If you meet the following criteria, you may be eligible to file a talcum powder cancer lawsuit:

  • You were diagnosed with uterine cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, or ovarian cancer.
  • You regularly used talcum powders as feminine hygiene products for more than four years.
  • You have used Shower to Shower, Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder, or other talcum powder products.
  • You have biopsy results and other medical records related to talcum powder use.
  • You have no previous history of any genetic disorder that pre-disposes you to ovarian cancer.

Talcum Powder Cases: Timeline of Events

2003: An analysis was conducted on 16 observational studies on the association between ovarian cancer and perineal talcum powder use. According to the investigation, a 33% increased risk of ovarian cancer was linked to perineal talc use.

2010: Dr. Margaret Gates, a Harvard epidemiologist and others found that among postmenopausal women who used talcum powder, 21% experienced an increased risk of developing endometrial cancer. Women who used talcum powder regularly experienced a 24% risk of developing endometrial cancer.

2013: Cancer Prevention Research conducted a study related to genital powder use and the risk of ovarian cancer. The analysis pooled 8,525 cases and 9,859 controls. Women who used genital powder experienced a modest risk of epithelial ovarian cancer compared with those who have never used it.

2015: A study called “The Association Between Ovarian Cancer and Talc Use” was published in Epidemiology. Over 2,041 women with epithelial ovarian cancer were examined along with 2,100 controls. When talc was applied often over an extended period, cancer risks increased, according to the study.

December 2018: Thomson Reuters investigated claims that Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder contained asbestos. Thousands of pages of previously confidential documents and company memos showed that the company knew that its talcum powder possibly contained asbestos for decades. Johnson & Johnson failed to inform regulators or the public regarding the issue and continues to maintain to this day that its products are safe for consumers to use.

July 2019: Over 11,000 talcum powder cases against Johnson & Johnson underwent pretrial proceedings in federal multidistrict litigation.

October 2019: An estimated 33,000 bottles of baby powder were voluntarily recalled by Johnson & Johnson after traces of asbestos were found by the FDA in a bottle that was purchased online.

February 2020: Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a New Jersey state jury to pay $750 million in punitive damages to four plaintiffs who claimed that its baby powder caused their cancers.

April 2020: Freda Wolfson, the U.S. District Court Judge for the state of New Jersey, ruled that thousands of women could move forward with their lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson. They claimed that the company’s talc and baby powder products were a direct cause of their ovarian cancer diagnoses.

May 2020: Johnson & Johnson announced that they would no longer sell its talcum baby powder in Canada and the United States after the company was ordered to pay billions of dollars in settlements related to claims that their products cause cancer.

June 2020: A Missouri appeals court ordered Johnson & Johnson and one of its subsidiaries to pay out over $2.1 billion in damages to women who blamed their ovarian cancers on its iconic baby powder and other talcum products.

Contact Our Experienced Talcum Powder Cancer Lawyers Today

Our talcum powder ovarian cancer lawyers at The Eichholz Law Firm have years of experience evaluating legal claims related to asbestos-related cancers associated with talcum powder use. If you or a loved one developed ovarian cancer after using talc-based baby powder, contact us for a free consultation at 855-551-1019. 

All of our consultations are completely confidential. You should reach out to us as soon as possible as time limits apply for filing talcum powder cancer lawsuits. Claims are being accepted nationwide by The Eichholz Law Firm for ovarian cancer cases related to talcum powder use.     

Please seek the advice of a medical professional before making health care decisions.
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