Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder Linked To Ovarian Cancer

The brand’s talcum powder is linked to causing ovarian cancer.

Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $72 million to the family of Alabama resident Jacqueline Fox, who had been using the health product giant’s baby powder for 35 years and died of ovarian cancer last October.

A pathologist reportedly discovered Fox’s ovaries were inflamed from talc, which turned into fatal cancer, causing her to pass away at the age of 62.

The family’s following lawsuit was part of a broader claim involving almost 60 people affected by Johnson & Johnson’s alleged failure to warn users of the potential dangers of certain ingredients in its products. The company “knew as far back as the 1980s of the risk” and yet resorted to “lying to the public, lying to the regulatory agencies”, told the family’s lawyer Jere Beasley.

This isn’t the first court case for Johnson & Johnson over possibly harmful ingredients. In 2012, the company agreed to eliminate cancer-causing ingredients 1,4-dioxane and formaldehyde from all their products.

However, the company disputes the link between talc and cancer, saying “the recent US verdict goes against decades of sound science proving the safety of talc as a cosmetic ingredient in multiple products, and while we sympathise with the family of the plaintiff, we strongly disagree with the outcome”.

It will take more research to determine the true danger of talc, as the World Health Organization has currently classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” when used around the vagina. Thus, precaution on the use of baby powder is advised in order to eliminate all possible risks of cancer.

Comment: Is Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder a staple in your household? Will it still be?