Not Every Ovarian Cancer Case Can Be Blamed On Using Talcum Powder

A woman's genetic makeup is also a likely cause of ovarian cancer

Monday, October 4, 2021 - More than 30,000 talcum powder cancer lawsuits are pending in federal court where women with ovarian cancer allege that using Johnson's Baby Powder regularly and for many years caused their disease. To understand the arguments by the plaintiff and defense attorneys one must first understand the disease. Ovarian cancer symptoms are often overlooked until the disease has progressed to the terminal stage because the pain from ovarian cancer masks itself in a woman's natural monthly menstrual discomfort. Unfortunately for plaintiffs that claim using talcum powder for feminine hygiene caused their disease, there are other causes of ovarian cancer that have always been assumed to cause ovarian cancer that must first be ruled out. Ovarian cancer can be mistaken for benign ovarian cysts which are treatable and fairly common according to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA). According to ICRA, the early signs to look for that indicate a woman might have ovarian cancer is a pain in the pelvic area, having to urinate more frequently than in the past, sudden weight loss, constipation, and feeling full and bloated without eating very much. Other symptoms like "fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse, constipation, menstrual irregularities," are all linked to ovarian cancer but are too common in the general population to indicate having the disease all by themselves, the OCRA tells readers. Since most cases of ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until later in life, aging is suspected as being a cause of the disease as is a sudden weight change.

Jewish women have a much higher chance of developing ovarian cancer if they have an Askenazi Jewish heritage than from talcum powder cancer, as was the case in the most recent Johnson's Baby Powder cancer trial where a jury found in favor of the defense. It was decided then that using talcum powder may not have been the only reason for developing ovarian cancer and that being of Askenazi Jewish heritage was a more likely determinate for the disease. "Court filings from JNJ's legal team said that other factors had contributed to Kleiner's diagnosis, including her Ashkenazi Jewish heritage," according to CosmeticsBusiness.com. ABC News recently wrote an article titled "Ashkenazi Jews face a higher cancer risk because of the BRCA gene," which highlighted the condition popularized by the actress Angelina Jolie. According to research experts, "(An Askenazi Jewish woman) has up to a 70 percent chance of developing breast cancer and up to 40 percent chance of ovarian cancer, due to a BRCA gene fault, and is 10 times more likely than women in the general population to develop one of the two cancers." If an Askenazi Jewish woman carries the BRCA gene, many opt to have preventative surgery called an oophorectomy, the surgical removal of the ovaries. Jewish women that receive a positive diagnosis for carrying the BCRA gene in their early twenties may have a 40% greater likelihood of developing the disease.

Information provided by TalcumPowderCancerLawsuit.com, a website devoted to providing news about talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits, as well as medical research and findings.