Johnson and Johnson have been in the headlines for other reasons this week after being ordered to pay $417m (£323.4m) to a 63 year old California woman named Eva Echeverria, who claimed their talcum powder gave her ovarian cancer after allegedly using it for 50 years. 


The jury’s decision to award the woman such a huge sum was the company’s biggest compensation payout to date and has lost most of a half-dozen trials involving claims its baby powder cause ovarian cancer. 


 The company denies there’s a connection between its products and the disease and quickly said it would appeal the Los Angeles verdict. Lawsuits involving thousands more plaintiffs are pending.

 Medical and cancer experts divide sharply on talc’s role. Some are convinced the powder is linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Others, including government health experts, say the evidence is lacking.

What is talcum powder? 


  According to American Cancer Society, talcum powder is made from talc, a mineral made up mainly of the elements magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. As a powder, it absorbs moisture well and helps cut down on friction, making it useful for keeping skin dry and helping to prevent rashes. However, contains asbestos which causes cancer. 


Asbestos free talc has been used in everything from eye shadow to condoms and latex gloves since the 1970’s  It is widely used in cosmetic products such as baby powder and adult body and facial powders, as well as in a number of other consumer products.

There is a recent suggestion that talcum powder might cause cancer in the ovaries if the powder particles is applied to the genital area or on sanitary napkins, diaphragms, or condoms travel through the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes to the ovary.

Asbestos, which has been linked to lung cancer, used to turn up as an impurity in talc, but it has been banned for several decades.


Many pediatricians also discourage the use of such powder on babies because the particles can cause breathing problems, according to Jennifer Lowry, a pediatrician and environmental health expert at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.   

The American Cancer Society  says studies on talcum powder and ovarian cancer “have been mixed, with some studies reporting a slightly increased risk and some reporting no increase For any individual woman, if there is an increased risk, the overall increase is likely to be very small.” 

Many studies in women have looked at the possible link between talcum powder and cancer of the ovary. Findings have been mixed, with some studies reporting a slightly increased risk and some reporting no increase. 


Many case-control studies have found a small increase in risk. But these types of studies can be biased because they often rely on a person’s memory of talc use many years earlier. Two prospective cohort studies, which would not have the same type of potential bias, have not found an increased risk.


More than 22,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, and 14,000 will die. The biggest risk factors, all well established, include a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, mutations in the BRCA genes and age.

Cancer Research UK says that “The evidence for a link is weak, but even if talc does increase the risk of ovarian cancer studies suggest it would be by around a third”. It also recognises that ovarian cancer can be caused by a multitude of factors including the contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Should I reduce my exposure to talcum powder?


It is not clear if consumer products containing talcum powder increase cancer risk. Studies of personal use of talcum powder have had mixed results, although there is some suggestion of a possible increase in ovarian cancer risk. There is very little evidence at this time that any other forms of cancer are linked with consumer use of talcum powder.


There are other options besides talc-based powder. Some baby powders (including some by J&J) contain cornstarch instead of talc, and there is no evidence linking cornstarch to ovarian cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

Until more information is available, people concerned about using talcum powder may want to avoid or limit their use of consumer products that contain it. Still, talc is widely used in many products, so it is important to determine if the increased risk is real. Research in this area continues.