A federal jury has found that talcum contained in Johnson & Johnson powder was linked and contributed to a woman’s ovarian cancer. The jury found on that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn consumers of the link between ovarian cancer and the use of talc-based body powder for feminine hygiene.
Deane Berg, a resident of Sioux Falls, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006, filed the lawsuit. The 56-year-old berg used talcum-based products for hygiene purposes for about 30 years, including J&J’s shower to shower body powder.
Attorney R. Allen Smith, Jr., one of Berg’s lawyers, said his client never would have used the products in the manner she did if she had seen a warning. The first time she heard about the risk was after her diagnosis, Smith said. Smith of Ridgeland, Mississippi, filed the very first talcum ovarian cancer lawsuit in 2009.
The verdict comes shortly after the Mississippi Attorney General’s office launched an investigation into Johnson & Johnson’s promotion of talcum powder products used for feminine hygiene.
The jury did not award Berg monetary damages nor did it agree that Johnson & Johnson’s products are defective without a warning label
Medical Studies Link Talcum Powder to Cancer Risk
A recent study conducted by Dr. Margaret A. Gates and funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health, focused on talc ovarian cancer, found a 36-41% increase in ovarian cancer related to use of talc. The study advised women to immediately stop using the product.
A June report published in the medical journal cancer prevention research, and based on data collected covering about 2,000 women, found that women who use powder containing talc may have a 20% to 30% greater risk of ovarian cancer.
Medical Experts Testify
Mr. Smith is working with the two of the foremost medical experts on the subject of talc and ovarian cancer (Daniel Cramer, MD and John Godieski, MD). Dr. Cramer, who has studied the connection between talc and cancer for 30 years told jurors that talc probably was a contributing factor in 10,000 cases of ovarian cancer each year.
Doctors analyzed berg’s cancer tissue, found talc using a scanning electron microscope and concluded that body powder was the cause.
Talc Products Affected
Numerous other talc products are impacted by the lawsuit;
Johnson’s ® baby powder
Shower to Shower ® absorbent body powder
and all other talcum powder products.
What Do I Do If I Think I May Have Been Injured?
Regardless of where you live, contact Chhabra Gibbs & Herrington PLLC to review your case and ensure that you are properly evaluated by a qualified medical expert.
