What Science Says About Talcum Powder and the Risk of Ovarian Cancer

Talcum powder has become a source of controversy for the multinational brand Johnson & Johnson. One of the reasons for this is the money it has had to pay in lawsuits and compensation for alleged cancers caused by the use of this product, especially in relation to ovarian cancer in the United States.

Only during the first quarter of 2023 did the multinational declare losses of 68 million dollars, weighed down by the expenditure of 7,228 million dollars in legal costs and compensation derived from lawsuits for its commercial version of talcum powder. This is in addition to the announcement last August that it will suspend the manufacture and sale of baby talcum powder worldwide starting this year due to the mass tort injuries it produces.

At Injury Rely, we have skilled medical professionals who can help you if you have had ovarian cancer due to the use of baby powder. We can put you in touch with oncologists and therapists who can help you with your condition.

If you are still determining if the origin of your condition is due to the use of the product, read on to find out more about this mass tort injury case.

What Is Talcum Powder Made Of? The Asbestos Problem

Talcum powder is obtained from silicate mines. Specifically, it is magnesium silicates, a type of mineral structured in small sheets that can absorb moisture and slide over one another, thereby reducing possible sores caused by friction.

They were discovered in 1878 by Henry Roberts, a pharmacist who decided to market them in England, where they became famous worldwide. However, over time, other products, such as zinc oxide, magnesium carbonate, and zinc undecylenate, as well as flavorings, have been added to the original talcum powders.

Are these additives the possible culprits of the increased risk of ovarian cancer when they enter the vaginal canal due to genital use? According to the American Cancer Society (ACM), the leading cause of this mass tort injury would be the traces of asbestos that talcum powders have traditionally contained.

This is because, in the mining sites where both materials are obtained, magnesium silicates and asbestos (also known as asbestos) coexist and are difficult to separate.

Thus, the ACM states on its website: “When talking about whether talcum powder is related to cancer, it is important to distinguish between talc that contains asbestos and talc that does not contain asbestos. It is generally accepted that talc that contains asbestos can cause cancer if inhaled.”

This would mainly affect workers dedicated to the extraction of both materials, but also babies, to whom they are often applied and who could inhale it after application. Given the slow development of their lungs, this could increase the risk of lung cancer.

However, the ACM is more cautious when talking about a possible risk of ovarian cancer because existing studies show different criteria.

“It has been suggested that talcum powder could cause ovarian cancer if the powder particles (applied to the genital area or on sanitary pads, diaphragms or condoms) traveled through the vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes to the ovaries,” the ACM notes.

“Many studies in women have looked at the possible link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. The findings have been mixed, with some studies reporting a slightly increased risk and others reporting no increase,” it continues, explaining that the main difficulty is that this type of cancer is rare, which limits the universe of study.

What Do the Studies Say?

There is a fairly broad consensus in science that the presence of asbestos in talcum powder can affect the vagina by causing inflammation in the fallopian tubes and ducts, which can activate cancer cells in the ovary or other areas.

But 1970s onwards, and following the progressive awareness of the dangers of asbestos, its presence in talcum powder was banned in the US, so in theory, its carcinogenic incidence should be ruled out, at least in relation to its use in genital hygiene.

In any case, the controversy remains with different studies that analyse whether asbestos-free talc continues to have an impact on the increased risk of mass tort injuries such as ovarian cancer.

“The evidence of talc in ovarian samples gives credit to a transgenital transit mechanism. Once in contact with the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and peritoneum, it is postulated that talc causes local inflammation and triggers a carcinogenic process,” explain doctors and researchers Dana R. Gossett and Marcela G. del Carmen, specialised in gynecology and gynecological oncology respectively, in their article Use of talc in the genital area and risk of ovarian cancer. Examining the Evidence, published in 2020.

However, as they explain, determining whether inflammation occurs only when talc is contaminated with asbestos or whether it can also happen in response to pure mineral talc “remains an area of ​​controversy.”

The article by Drs. Dana R. Gossett and Marcela G. del Carmen is an expert analysis of the most extensive study to date—by a team of scientists in the United States—on this topic.

The researchers analyzed data from more than 257,000 American women in order to calculate the estimated risk of ovarian cancer by age 70, both in those who had been exposed to talcum powder and in those who had not.

The key finding was that there is no demonstrable statistically significant association between the use of powder in the genital area and the risk of ovarian cancer. There is “no evidence of a significant dose-response relationship identified in the study population,” Gossett and del Carmen point out.

Therefore, this work would support the hypothesis — defended until now by entities such as the American Society of Oncology — that there are not enough elements to advise against the use of asbestos-free talcum powder.

In any case, as Gossett and del Carmen point out, one fact must be taken into account: despite the large sample size of the latest study, “it is possible that the study had little power to detect small increases or decreases in ovarian cancer rates.”

This is due, among other things — according to both specialists — to the fact that research should focus on women with “intact reproductive tracts” since they are the ones who run the risk of dust particles reaching their ovaries from the vagina (and not those who have had a hysterectomy or a ligation of the fallopian tubes).

Not only that, but the studies point out that special attention should also be paid to the time and duration of exposure to dust in the genital area. “Accumulating such data will take many years and, given the current low rates of talcum powder use, may not be feasible,” Gossett and del Carmen say.

We Can Help You With Your Case

Baby powder mass tort injuries are being suffered daily by victims or their families who have used this type of product.

We understand the high costs of cancer treatment and can help alleviate them by seeking appropriate help. At Injury Rely, we care about our patients and work together professionally and ethically. You have the best network of healthcare professionals specialized in mass torts. Contact us today so we can provide you with oncologists and therapists who can help you with your condition.