Pharmaceutical Attorneys Help Talcum Powder Users Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer

Talcum powder is one of those substances most of use regularly without a second thought. Talc is used in a variety of products but is mostly used in a powder to keep our skin dry. Researchers have found it can do a lot more harm than good including increasing the risk of ovarian cancer. If you or a family member have been a regular user of talcum powder and been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, we may be able to help with a talcum powder lawsuit.

Talc is a moisture absorbing mineral made of magnesium, silicon and oxygen. In its original, natural form it may also contain asbestos, a known carcinogen, but all commercial talc products sold in the U.S. are supposed to be asbestos-free since the 1970’s. It’s used in a number of products, including:

• Baby powder,
• Face/body powder,
• Eye shadow, and
• Other cosmetics

The risk for ovarian cancer is a third higher for women who regularly use talcum powder around their genitals according to a medical study published in December 2015 reports Reuters. The study is based on researchers asking 2,041 women with ovarian cancer and 2,100 similar women without it about their talcum powder use. Those who said they routinely applied talc to their private parts, sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear had a 33% higher risk of ovarian cancer.

The lead author, Dr. Daniel W. Cramer, who heads the Obstetrics and Gynecology Epidemiology Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, has unsuccessfully called for warning labels on talcum powder.

This is not the first medical study to raise alarms about products with talc.

• 2013: Another study shows a 20% to 30% increased risk of developing ovarian cancer by those using talcum powder compared to women who did not use it.
• 1982: A medical study showed women who used sanitary napkins with talcum powder were three times more likely to develop ovarian cancer as those who did not.
• 1971: The first study looking into a link between talc and ovarian cancer showed that the mineral was found in 75% of all ovarian tumors examined.

Ovarian cancer is diagnosed in about 20,000 American women each year and about 14,500 die from it annually. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified genital talc as possibly causing cancer in 2006 but the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not list talc as a risk factor for ovarian cancer. It’s an unregulated substance in the United States.

Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer may include:

• Abdominal bloating or swelling,
• Quickly feeling full when eating,
• Weight loss,
• Discomfort in the pelvic area,
• Changes in bowel habits including constipation, and
• Frequent need to urinate