agree toBBC News , they take that the cleaning lady in interrogation , 62 - year - sure-enough Jackie Fox from Birmingham , Alabama , applied J&J ’s talc products for decades but was not made aware of the potential health risks they persuade , due to a failure on the caller ’s behalf to alert users .
While the panel may have made its verdict , it ’s doubtful that the battle is won as J&J will probably appeal . That said , this is n’t the only face that the company is facing : a further1,200 lawsuitsare currently pending across the country , and it ’s anticipated that the outcome of this trial run will probably goad thousand more .
But is there any plausibleness behind these claims ? The concern overtalcstem from the fact that this mineral is naturally found in spots across Earth that also check asbestos , a known carcinogen . It is for that intellect that talcum used for cosmetic design , such as in makeup or to produce baby pulverisation , must be free of asbestos , a requirement that ’s been in station since the ‘ 70s .
Yet because of its chemical similarity to asbestos , talcum has continually been scrutinized as a potential cancer - do agent . Namely , multiple study over the years have drawn associations with genital software of talcum powder and ovarian cancer . While some research has conclude that talc use maymodestly increasethe risk of this particular character of cancer , the data link remains a controversial one . Poor study intent is often raise , with selection bias blamed for helping tip the scales to significance .
In addition , biologic grounds to support this connection islackingas a mechanism of carcinogenicity has yet to be identified , and there seem to beno dose response . If talcum was indeed a carcinogen , not bad exposure would be expect to cause a capital danger of develop cancer , but that has not been discover with its use .
moreover , additional questions arise when route of exposure is think . More intrusive product , such as condom and diaphragms , which are coated with talc , havenot been associatedwith a risk of ovarian Crab . “ view talcum a carcinogen miss convincing scientific certification , ” one studyconcludes .
