Parilman & Associates – Helping Consumers Evaluate Potential Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Lawsuits
For decades, people have been using talcum powder, also known as baby powder, as a beauty aid. This product is ubiquitous in showers and bathtubs across the United States, and it has been seen as quite useful in helping to absorb moisture and to protect the skin from becoming rough and worn. The vast majority of consumers would never think that such a product could ever be dangerous, but a recent baby powder lawsuit verdict will likely lead people to contact talcum powder lawyers to learn more about their legal rights and options.
The talcum powder lawsuit in question was held in South Dakota, and Johnson & Johnson, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of these products, was named as the defendant. The case centered on a female plaintiff who had allegedly used baby powder as part of her showering routine for decades. She was ultimately diagnosed with ovarian cancer. While the jury did not award the plaintiff any damages, it did find that there was a connection between the use of this product and the plaintiff’s resulting cancer diagnosis.
There have been warnings issued by individual doctors for years regarding the dangers of talcum powder/baby powder and the potential for women in particular who use it for long periods of time to develop ovarian cancer. These warnings have had a lot to do with the fact that talc, the mineral used to make talcum powder, contains potentially dangerous substances such as magnesium and silicon. There have also been claims that talcum powder has contained asbestos in past years. These substances are ground into a fine powder and packaged before being sold to consumers.
The belief regarding the connection between baby powder and ovarian cancer is that over time, particles of talcum powder can enter a woman’s body through the vagina and settle in her ovaries. This belief stems from analyses that have been done on cancerous tissues including those that were found in the plaintiff in the South Dakota talcum powder lawsuit. These cancerous cells contained particles of talc according to the doctors who studied them.
To date, there is not quite enough known with regards to the quantifiable risk faced by women who use baby powder and the possibility of developing ovarian cancer. While studies have been done that labeled this risk as scientifically insignificant, many doctors have decried these study conclusions as lacking. That’s because these studies did not fully look at the potential impact of using these products on a long-term basis.
If you are one of the millions of people who use talcum powder as part of your daily hygiene, you should use caution and perhaps speak to your doctor about the potential risks of ovarian cancer. If you have been diagnosed with this disease and you believe that it could be due to the use of these products, you need to take steps to protect yourself. You can start by contacting the baby powder ovarian cancer lawyers at Parilman & Associates today to schedule a free initial consultation. Simply email the firm by completing the contact form on this page or call 602-757-7175.