We’ve all heard about asbestos and its link to cancer. Asbestos is a combination of mineral fibers that have been mined since the late 1800’s for use in building materials. Asbestos was considered to be a great product because it provided insulation that was durable and fairly fireproof… until the late 1960s when scientists realized that workers who were regularly exposed to it had a 25% higher mortality rate.
Both talc and asbestos are naturally occurring silicate minerals that are usually found near each other in the earth when they are mined. While they are made of similar minerals, their structure is different, making asbestos a carcinogen (a substance known to cause cancer) and not talc (scientists are still conflicted, but we’ll talk about that in a little bit).During the 1970’s talcum powder contaminated with asbestos was a big deal because it was becoming common knowledge that asbestos was linked to numerous cancer cases. However, since these minerals occur near each other, it became a necessary practice to test talc mines to ensure that asbestos was not present in talc products. Today the FDA requires that all products that contain talc be asbestos free (but this is loosely enforced because these items are considered to be beauty products, not food or drugs).
According to the The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), they have determined the following:
Studies have shown for decades that there is a clear link between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer. In the 1970’s, doctors found talcum powder particles in ovarian tumors. In 1982, Dr. Daniel Cramer of Harvard determined in his study that there was a higher number of ovarian cancer patients among those who used talcum powder on a regular basis than those who did not. At this time, Dr. Cramer recommended that J&J put a warning on their label to which they declined (and there still isn’t one today). In 2013, researchers analyzed nearly 20,000 people and discovered that those who used any type of powder in their genital region were 20% to 30% more likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who didn’t apply powder. (It is believed that when talc is applied to the genital area, these fine particles can migrate through the mucus membranes in the vagina and up into the ovaries. This would lead to chronic inflammation that could become cancerous.)Currently, there are over 5,000 lawsuits that have been filed against Johnson & Johnson on behalf of women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer after using their baby powder products or Shower to Shower on their genital area. One example involves 63-year-old Eva Echeverria who is battling with ovarian cancer. She used Johnson’s Baby Powder for decades, starting at age 11, and stated that the company should have warned her about the risk. In August 2017, a Los Angeles jury agreed with her and ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay her $417 million.
