Johnson & Johnson Questions Lack of Scientific Evidence In Billion Dollar Jury Award Appeal

Johnson & Johnson's talc ovarian cancer defense may rest on the unreliability of studies pointing to a link

Wednesday, July 15, 2020 - In the most recent major development about talcum powder cancer, a federal judge upheld a Missouri jury's verdict against Johnson & Johnson were 22 women alleged that Johnson's Baby Powder caused their cancer. The Judge reduces the amount of punitive damages in half to $2.1 billion, still a staggering sum by anyone's measure. Johnson & Johnson intend to appeal the verdict to the Missouri Supreme Court and will no doubt cite the recent studies that have failed to find a link with the lifelong use of Johnson's Baby Powder for feminine hygiene, and developing ovarian cancer. Critics of the above jury decision note that it is not enough to find particles of talc in the cancerous ovarian tissues taken from biopsies after they have died. Talcum powder lawyers have vast experience litigating against big corporations and pharmaceutical companies with a winning track record and offer a free no obligation consultation before filing a claim.

A report published the other day in Survivornet.com told readers that "No Conclusive Evidence Ovarian Cancer Is Linked To Using Baby Powder - Experts Say Flawed Studies Are Often Cited By Lawsuits." The talc ovarian cancer denial centers around the opinion of Dr. David Engle, a gynecologic oncologist at Baptist Medical Group in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Engle told Survivornet "I can't pull a paper that says, yes, if you use baby powder for [a certain] number of years, your risk of ovarian cancer goes up by a certain percentage. Those studies just don't exist today." Defense attorneys for Johnson & Johnson claim that plaintiff's cases have relied on causality studies where two small groups of women are asked a multitude of questions. The same set of questions is asked to both groups. One group has suffered from ovarian cancer and the other hasn't. Dr. Engle thinks that the study above that claims the talc cancer link could have been flawed because women with ovarian cancer may be more prone to racking their memories to try and find a cause for their disease were the second group, being healthy, would have never broached the subject. Dr. Engle concluded by telling Survivornet, "Those studies are very shaky in trying to determine a cause for ovarian cancer," says Dr. Engle. "So far, no study has directly linked baby powder to ovarian cancer. So baby powder may cause ovarian cancer but it's also possible there is no cause. We just don't know yet." The fact of the matter is that there is no definitive scientific study linking using talcum powder regularly for many years and developing ovarian cancer and all studies that draw a link rely on women's consumer memory from many years ago.

One important link between talcum powder and cancer may exist, however, as scientists and the US Food and Drug Administration have found particles of asbestos contaminating bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder. Asbestos is a deadly carcinogen responsible for millions of deaths from mesothelioma of the lungs or stomach. It is not a far stretch to think that asbestos could also cause ovarian cancer as particles of talc have been found in women's cancerous ovarian tissue. Asbestos fibers and other fibers in talc are microscopic yet razor-sharp and cause cuts in the delicate mucous membrane tissues in which they come into contact. Those cuts heal with scar tissue but can fester into infections and irritations that can lead to cancer according to experts.