New Study Shows Link Between Talcum Powder Use and Ovarian Cancer

A study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention on January 11, 2017 found a small, but statistically significant, link between women’s talcum powder use and ovarian cancer. While there has been a growing body of literature regarding the association between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer, the evidence has not been consistent.

In the new study, researchers at the Tisch Cancer Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital sought to “formally evaluate this suspected association” by analyzing the data from over two dozen prior studies, including over 300,000 women with ovarian cancer. Regarding the risk of ovarian cancer, researchers noted: “Overall, it is about a 20 percent higher risk for women who say they used talc, compared to women to say they did not use it.”

However, while the findings of this study do suggest a statistically significant link between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer, the researchers have stressed that the results cannot prove how talcum powder causes cancer.

While there are several different sub-types of ovarian cancer, the researchers have pointed out that this study’s conclusions appear to be limited to only one type of ovarian cancer—serous carcinoma.

This study may be seen as good news for the thousands of ovarian cancer victims and their families who are pursuing talcum powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson. Plaintiffs allege that for decades, a growing number of studies have pointed to a link between genital talc use in woman and an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Women who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer following long-term, regular use of talc products for feminine hygiene purposes may be eligible for their own talcum powder lawsuit.

Photo: Austin Kirk