Update: Johnson and Johnson recently paid out $72 million for cancer death linked to talcum powder. 

If you are one of the 20,000 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, you may be wondering, “did I do something wrong?” The answer to this question could be yes, specifically if you are a regular user of talcum powder for feminine hygiene.

Talc, in it’s purest form, has been the target of lawsuits filed against Johnson and Johnson, manufacturer’s of baby powder and Shower to Shower. Most of the lawsuits against Johnson and Johnson relating to talcum powder ovarian cancer have been based in New Jersey, the state of the company’s headquarters. The lawsuit contends that talc is a dangerous substance responsible for causing cancer, and that talc needs to be replaced with corn starch to remove this health danger. If this has happened to you, contact the Louisville personal injury attorneys at Meinhart & Manning, PLLC.

Signs of Ovarian Cancer

If you suffer from pain during intercourse, abdominal swelling, constipation, fatigue, or inexplicable weight loss, these may be signs that you have ovarian cancer. Changes with your menstrual cycle can also be an indicator of this disease.

The manufacturing of powder using talc continues to go unchecked, and Johnson and Johnson hasn’t done anything about these findings from 1971 for the last 40 years. A follow up study done in 1992 speculated that the use of talc containing products for feminine hygiene increases the risk of getting ovarian cancer threefold. By 2010, Harvard University researchers concluded that talc is in fact carcinogenic to humans.

Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits

Despite the lack of information provided by the FDA and Johnson and Johnson regarding the use of talc, the first lawsuit claiming talc was responsible for ovarian cancer was won in 2013. The lawsuit was filed in 2006, after the woman suffering from ovarian cancer reported using Shower to Shower talcum powder for the previous 30 years. This lawsuit has set the stage for future lawsuits of women who are suffering from ovarian cancer and were using talcum based products in their personal hygiene routine.

It is easy for the manufacturers of talcum based products to change their formula to a corn starch based formula, but despite proof that talc was toxic to human beings, Johnson and Johnson continued to make Shower to Shower and baby powders using talc. There is no excuse for this behavior.

Talcum Powder Use and Ovarian Cancer Diagnoses

If you have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and you frequently used Johnson and Johnson products as part of your daily routine, you are not alone. If you believe that you are a victim of chronic talc use, it is time to contact our law office to discuss your potential for a personal injury lawsuit. We know how hard it is to fight ovarian cancer, and the time is now to talk with a professional attorney about your case.

Talc is toxic, and both the government and Johnson and Johnson have known this fact for years. With an ovarian cancer diagnosis and frequent powder use, you have a viable lawsuit on your hands.