A St. Louis jury recently ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay 72 million dollars to the family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer. The woman had used Johnson’s Baby Powder for years. The jury concluded that the talcum powder was a substantial factor in causing the ovarian cancer. The jury concluded that Johnson & Johnson was liable for negligence, conspiracy and failure to warn women of the potential risk of using baby powder in the genital area.
More than 20 epidemiological studies have found that the long term perineal talc use increases the risk of ovarian cancer by about 33 percent. Ovarian cancer is among the most deadly cancers. More than 1,000 women and their families are suing J&J claiming that the company has known of the association with ovarian cancer for years and yet has failed to warn their customers.