Spilled baby powder.(Photo: Getty Images)
A court case involving the family of an Alabama woman who blamed the talc in baby powder for causing their mother's fatal<span style="color: Red;">*</span>ovarian cancer is raising<span style="color: Red;">*</span>questions about the product's safety — especially<span style="color: Red;">*</span>for feminine hygienic use.
A St. Louis jury late Monday ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>woman's family $72 million in damages. After her cancer diagnosis, Jackie Fox joined dozens of women suing the company for what they said was a failure to inform consumers about the dangers of talc. Johnson & Johnson says its products are safe.
USA TODAY
Johnson & Johnson to pay $72M in talcum-related cancer case
Talcum powder is made from talc, which absorbs moisture well and helps cut down on friction. That makes it useful for keeping skin dry and preventing rashes. The powder was used for many years when diapering babies, but<span style="color: Red;">*</span>health concerns led doctors to recommend against its use. Talc is still<span style="color: Red;">*</span>widely used in other cosmetics.
Some studies suggest<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer, but scientists say it's not clear yet whether products containing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>talc can cause<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the disease.
"Studies of personal use of talcum powder have had mixed results, although there is some suggestion of a possible increase in ovarian cancer risk," the American Cancer Society says on its website.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"There is very little evidence at this time that any other forms of cancer are linked with consumer use of talcum powder."
The International Agency for Research on Cancer,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>part of the World Health Organization, says applying talc<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the genital area<span style="color: Red;">*</span>could be "possibly carcinogenic to humans."
Doctors have examined the possible health risks of long-term exposure to natural talc fibers at work, such as talc miners, to determine if they're<span style="color: Red;">*</span>at higher risk of lung cancer.
The U.S.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>National Toxicology Program, an interagency group headquartered at the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences<span style="color: Red;">*</span>has not fully reviewed talc as a possible carcinogen.
?People concerned about talc can use other products, such as cornstarch-based ones, the American Cancer Society says. "There is no evidence at this time linking cornstarch powders with any form of cancer," the society says.
In the past, talc contained asbestos, which is proven to cause cancer. All talcum powder used in products for humans has been asbestos-free since the 1970s, according to the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
American Cancer Society.
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