The Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) has just published a study that fits the bill for thousands of plaintiffs from the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson (J & J). The company argues that there is no causal link between mesothelioma and baby powder. Now, a study by American researchers could challenge that position.
The lawsuits related to J&J baby powder date back to 1999 when a woman alleged that using it throughout her life caused her mesothelioma, a rare cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos. In 2009, another woman sued the company: she alleged that its talc-based products caused her ovarian cancer. Since then, thousands more people have filed lawsuits for cases of talcum powder cancer or mesothelioma that, they say, were caused by the asbestos in the talc.
What the Sister Study Says Exactly
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a subsidiary of the World Health Organization, recently categorized talc as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A). The assessment’s findings will be thoroughly explained in the IARC monographs, scheduled for publication in 2025.
This assessment is based on a research study, the Sister Study, published in May 2024 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. This study, which was conducted in the United States, involved 50,884 women aged 35 to 74 years with a sister with breast cancer. Data were collected on the frequency of douching and the use of talc in the genital area at various periods: between 10-13 years, in the last 12 months before completing the questionnaire, and annually for the following 4 years. In the study, 53% of women had used vaginal douches, and 40% had used talcum powder in the genital area at some point during their lifetime.
Talcum powder use was positively associated with the incidence of ovarian cancer. This association was more significant for frequent users (at least once a month) and long-term users, especially during their 20s and 30s, compared to women who had never been exposed. Increased sexual activity in this period would explain the frequent use of intimate hygiene products. No relationship or increased risk was found with the use of genital talcum powder during adolescence. However, frequent douching and age 20-39 were also associated with higher rates of talcum powder cancer.
What Does Carcinogen Mean?
A carcinogen is a substance that, if inhaled, ingested, or penetrates the skin, can cause cancer or increase its chances. Based on how likely it is that a substance may cause cancer, carcinogens are divided into four categories. Group 1 includes substances that are considered carcinogenic, and therefore, there is sufficient evidence that they cause cancer in humans. This group includes tobacco smoke, solar radiation, alcoholic beverages, and the consumption of processed meat, among others.
Group 2A includes substances considered probably carcinogenic or carcinogenic. The evidence that talc causes ovarian cancer in humans is limited. However, according to the report published by the IARC, there is sufficient evidence in animal experiments and substantial evidence in experiments with human cells to link exposure to talc with the risk of developing talcum powder cancer.
How This Affects J&J
The work came less than two weeks after J&J filed a settlement plan against civil lawsuits in the talc case accused of causing cancer, offering to pay nearly $6.5 billion. “This plan is the end of our consensual settlement strategy,” Erik Haas, J&J’s vice president of general counsel, said in a statement.
To finalize the proposed settlement, 75 percent of the plaintiffs who claim J&J talc products harmed them must approve the agreement. They will vote over three months.
“This study is quite timely. We think it fully affirms and confirms the position taken by the plaintiffs’ experts,” Leigh O’Dell, the attorney in charge of the class action suit for about 50,000 plaintiffs, was quoted as saying by NBC News. However, J&J’s Haas said the new analysis does not establish causation or implicate a specific cancer-inducing agent. “This study does not change the overwhelming evidence that talc does not cause ovarian cancer,” she concluded.
Lawsuits over this product are not new, and some individual judgments have already been made. In August 2017, for example, J&J had to pay $417 million to a woman who had developed talcum powder cancer after using its baby powder in her intimate hygiene.
We Can Help You With Your Case
Baby powder cancer lawsuits are being filed daily by victims or their families who have suffered from this type of injury.
We understand the high cancer treatment costs, and we can help alleviate them by seeking appropriate compensation. On the other hand, the loss of a loved one is of incalculable value, but at least we can help you obtain justice and perhaps closure.
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