Widow Files Suit Alleging Talc-Based Powder Linked to Ovarian Cancer Death
A man is pursuing legal action against Johnson & Johnson, alleging that the company’s talc-based baby powder contributed to the ovarian cancer that claimed his wife’s life. Eva, 63, died in august 2023 after a battle with the disease. She had never smoked or consumed alcohol.
Mark, Eva’s husband, stated, “This legal action won’t bring Eva back, but this company needs to be held to account.” He explained that Eva had used talc powder for decades, believing it to be a safe and harmless product.
Eva initially received a diagnosis of ovarian cancer and underwent chemotherapy. However, subsequent blood tests revealed rising levels of CA125, a protein associated with the disease, and her health rapidly deteriorated.
The lawsuit is part of a larger group of claims alleging that Johnson & Johnson ‘suppressed data that might indicate that baby powder was contaminated with asbestos’ and ‘lobbied regulators’ to maintain sales of the product.
Experts offer differing perspectives on the link between talc and ovarian cancer.Justin Stebbing,an oncologist and professor at Anglia Ruskin University,believes a strong connection exists,citing a 2023 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology involving 50,884 women that found a positive correlation between ovarian cancer and genital talc use. “To me that study was the most compelling evidence,” Professor Stebbing saeid. “It’s very clear that there is a specific risk and the mechanism is clear.”
However, Paul Pharoah, a research scientist at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, cautions that while a connection is evident – women who used talc in the genital region have a higher risk of epithelial ovarian cancer - causation hasn’t been proven.”Correlation is not causation,” he stated, adding that other factors could be involved.
Despite the ongoing debate, Mark remains convinced that talc caused his wife’s cancer. “She shouldn’t have died,” he said. “It had no business allowing people like my wife to innocently and frequently use talc – and, this is what’s so awful, in the belief it was something mild and harmless.”
