A cancer warning to all talcum powder users

Generations of Americans have enjoyed the use of talcum powder as a regular part of their personal hygiene practices. Both men and women use it on their bodies to control sweating and provide a sense of freshness. Barbers use it on their customers after a cut and a shave. Mothers use it on their babies to keep their bottoms dry and free of rashes. The problem is recent research reveals that talcum powder could cause cancer.

Why is talcum powder dangerous?

Talc is one of the softest minerals known to man. It is naturally occurring and in order to make products like Baby Powder, talc needs to be mined. In and of itself, talc is harmless but another extremely dangerous and cancer-causing mineral is often found mixed together with talc in talc mines: asbestos.

Manufacturers of talc products like Johnson & Johnson have claimed in lawsuit after lawsuit that their talc-based hygiene products do not contain asbestos. Nevertheless, studies and research seem to show that the opposite is true.

At this time, more than 6,600 consumers have pursued lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson due to injuries and illnesses that they say were caused by regular use of asbestos-contaminated talcum powders manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. Some of the plaintiffs in these cases have contracted deadly cancers and lost their lives as a result of the illnesses.

There is also the fact that, in April 2018, Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products were shown to contain asbestos.

Evidence of baby powder causing cancer is not clearcut

The idea that baby powder causes cancer has become a concern in the medical community for some years. Certain plaintiffs have also won lawsuits against talcum powder product manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson after contracting cancer.

A study from 2014 did not find a link between ovarian cancer and talc. However, research from 2016 discovered that women who use talc on their genitals suffered from a 33 percent increase in ovarian cancer risk. In many respects, the jury is still out on whether talcum powder causes cancer, but consumers are better off avoiding all talcum-based products just to be safe.If you’re a regular, long-term user of talcum powder and you have contracted cancer, you might want to look deeper into your options. A deeper understanding of North Carolina personal injury law can help you to evaluate your potential lawsuit.