This is Michael Brady Lynch, Lead Trial Attorney for The Michael Brady Lynch Firm.
A few months ago, a St. Louis Circuit Court jury awarded the family of Jacqueline Fox $72 million dollars finding that talc manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson was liable for Fox’s ovarian cancer. Since then, women and their families have been reaching out to firms like ours to see if they also have a case.
Talcum powder is a soft, white powder developed from talc, or magnesium silicate, a mineral composed primarily of magnesium, silicon and oxygen. When it is finely ground, talc absorbs moisture and helps reduce friction. These properties make made it widely used ingredient in cosmetics, personal hygiene products and many other common consumer goods.
Studies since the 1970s have been outlining the dangers of using talcum powder for feminine hygiene. Over 20 journal articles have found a 200-500% increased risk of ovarian cancer from any female that uses talcum powder. This is not a quick process. Many women use the powder for decades before cancer develops. What occurs is talc fibers go up the uterus, into the fallopian tubes before settling in the ovaries. Fibers from the talc can stay there for years like a ticking time bomb.
An estimated 25,000 women are diagnosed each year with ovarian cancer, and more than 14,000 die. Expert testimony at trial showed at least 45,000 women have died as a result of ovarian cancer that could be attributed to talcum powder use on the genitals, and an estimated 2,500 women will die within the next year as a result of talc use.
Johnson & Johnson are not rolling over and have filed an appeal of the two cases in Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals. The manufacturer is pushing that not even the American Cancer Society shows a link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer.
If you or a love one used talcum powder and later developed ovarian cancer, contact the dedicated attorneys at The Michael Brady Lynch Firm at 877-513-9517.