– Updated on February 15, 2026
You’ve probably used talcum powder for years – and your parents likely used it on you when you were a baby. It seems like the most innocent of products, yet there is evidence that women who use talcum powder on their genitals, or place it on sanitary napkins to reduce odor, may be placing themselves at risk for ovarian cancer.
What You Need To Know About Talcum Powder And Ovarian Cancer
Research shows that as many as 10,000 cases of talcum powder-related ovarian cancer are diagnosed every year. How does talcum powder cause ovarian cancer?
What is Talcum Powder?
Talcum powder, as the name suggests, derives from talc – a mineral consisting of silicon, magnesium and oxygen. The powder form absorbs odors and reduces friction. This soft mineral also has industrial uses, and is included in some paint, paper, rubber and ceramic manufacturing. It is found in cosmetics and even as filler in over-the-counter supplements. In 2006, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified talc as a possible human carcinogen.
Products such as Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower body powder have a naturally occurring mineral called talc. This mineral shares similar properties with asbestos, another mineral linked to deadly cancers. Contact a nationwide talcum powder injury lawyer today.
Talcum Powder Side Effects: When women apply talc-based baby powder to the genital area, talc particles can enter the vagina, travel through the fallopian tubes, and enter the ovaries. Once these particles reach the ovaries, they can embed into the lining, causing irritation and inflammation in healthy tissue. Over time, this inflammation can result in the formation of cancerous cells.
30% More Likely To Develop Ovarian Cancer
Women who regularly use talcum powder in the genital area have an increased rate of developing ovarian cancer. In fact, according to the Journal of Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, these women may be 30 percent more likely to develop the disease.
Ovarian cancer is particularly deadly because the early signs are subtle, and many women are not diagnosed until the cancer has metastasized, or spread. Some scientists believe the cancer risk from consumer talcum powder products arises from its use as a feminine hygiene product, when talcum powder particles move from the vagina, to the cervix, and eventually to the ovaries. Every year, approximately 20,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and about 14,000 will succumb to the disease. Nationally, a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer is about one in 70. However, a woman who regularly used talcum powder for feminine hygiene purposes has a much higher risk – about one in 50. A 2013 study published in Cancer Prevention Research by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that women who used talcum powder as a feminine hygiene product had a 20 to 30 percent greater risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Failure To Warn
The worst part of this whole disaster is that manufacturers of talc-based products may have known about these risks back in the 80’s. A 1982 Harvard Medical School study linked the use of talcum powder in the genital area to a risk of developing ovarian cancer. Multiple studies confirming the Harvard study were published in scientific journals throughout the 80’s and 90’s. In fact, a 1992 study urged companies such as Johnson & Johnson to label their talc-based products with warnings about the risk. Despite this knowledge, Johnson & Johnson failed to put warning labels on its products.
African-American Women Most Affected
A study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that about 75 percent of tissue in ovarian tumors contained talc particles. Furthermore, African-American women are at an increased risk of talcum-powder related ovarian cancer due to increased marketing efforts for these products within the black community.
As more women with ovarian cancer come forward, claiming they used talcum powder for decades, lawsuits are starting to mount. Here’s what we know based on several recent verdicts.
Deborah Giannecchini’s Talcum Powder Cancer Verdict
In 2016, Deborah Giannecchini received a $70 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson. She alleged that she used Shower to Shower daily for almost 40 years and that she developed ovarian cancer. Mrs. Giannecchini alleged that Johnson & Johnson was negligent in how they marketed what she believed to be a dangerous product. Sadly, she faces an 80% chance of dying. Mrs. Giannecchini’s attorney relied on medical studies from as far bask as 1970 that show talcum powder use causes a 40% greater risk of ovarian cancer. Her lawyer also relied on an internal memo from Johnson & Johnson that showed they knew about the increased risk of talcum powder cancer in women.
Gloria Riestesund’s Talcum Powder Cancer Verdict
Gloria Ristesund sued Johnson & Johnson after 40 years of daily use of their product, Shower to Shower. She was awarded $55 million after being diagnosed with Stage I ovarian cancer. Her cancer was found when she underwent a hysterectomy. What makes her case so important is because the pathologist found talcum powder inside of her ovaries. This stunning find was just one piece of the evidence that the jury used during their deliberation.
Fox Family Awarded $72 Million for Talcum Powder Cancer Claim
When Jacqueline Fox was 62 years old, she died from ovarian cancer. She was diagnosed three years before her death. Her family was awarded $72 million for a talcum powder cancer claim filed against Johnson & Johnson. The Fox family alleged that she used Shower to Shower for 35 years. The Fox’s legal team relied on an internal Johnson & Johnson memo from 1997 that was written by their medical consultant that read, in part: “anybody who denies [the risks]” associated with “hygienic” talc and cancer would be looked at in the same way as someone who denies smoking leads to lung cancer.
Despite knowing the risks since at least 1997, Johnson & Johnson did not remove known carcinogens from their products until 2012.
The Goldwater Law Firm – Nationwide Injury Lawyers
If you or a loved one has developed ovarian cancer after using any type of talc-based product, the skilled injury team at the Goldwater Law Firm can help. We will make sure you understand your rights and options before moving forward with litigation. Johnson & Johnson, and other manufacturers of talc-based products, knew about these risks but failed to warn the public. They should be held accountable for their negligence. If you’ve been injured, we can help. Our law firm has an impressive track record of obtaining compensation for clients. Contact the Goldwater Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation today.
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The Goldwater Law Firm is on mission to help as many people as possible with the fierce, compassionate legal aid only The Gold Standard of Injury Law can offer. If you suffered serious side effects or were diagnosed with an illness because of a defective drug or product, or if you were injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, Attorney Bob Goldwater and the Goldwater Law Firm is ready to serve as your compassionate partner in the fight to seek the compensation and justice you deserve.
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