Kathleen Mulpeter: Health.com
California woman wins $70M lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson over cancer caused by baby powder.
Deborah Giannecchini of Modesto,
According to The Associated Press, a woman from Calif. was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer in 2012. She sued Johnson & Johnson, alleging that her cancer was a result of using the company’s talc-based powder for several years.
“We are pleased the jury did the right thing,” Jim Onder, an attorney for Giannecchini, told the AP. “They once again reaffirmed the need for Johnson & Johnson to warn the public of the ovarian cancer risk associated with the product.”
Johnson & Johnson has faced previous lawsuits over its popular baby powder, and in February, a Missouri jury ordered the company to pay $72 million to the family of Jacqueline Fox, who died from ovarian cancer in 2015. And in May, another Missouri jury ruled the company should pay $55 million to a South Dakota woman who survived. According to the AP, a judge threw out two similar suits in New Jersey, stating that there was insufficient evidence to link the mineral talc to ovarian cancer.
So is using baby powder
actually a cancer risk? “The data is wishy-washy,” Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Services at Yale School of Medicine, previously explained to Health. While some studies haven’t found any connection between talc powders and ovarian cancers, others suggest a small increase in risk. “And there are lots of different variables in these studies for researchers to consider,” she said.
Johnson & Johnson maintains there is no danger in using its product. The company sent a statement to the AP about the most recent lawsuit: “We deeply sympathize with the women and families impacted by ovarian cancer,” spokeswoman Carol Goodrich said. “”We will appeal today’s verdict because the science guides us and supports the safety of Johnson’s Baby Powder.”
