Can Talcum Powder really cause Cancer?                  

Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD & C Act), cosmetic products and ingredients, with the exception of color additives, do not have to undergo Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review or approval before they go on the market. However, cosmetics must be properly labeled, and they must be safe for use by consumers under labeled or customary conditions of use. Cosmetic companies have a legal responsibility for the safety and labeling of their products and ingredients, but the law does not require them to share their safety information with FDA. 

FDA monitors for potential safety problems with cosmetic products on the market and takes action when needed to protect public health. Before the FDA can take such action against a cosmetic, they need sound scientific data to show that it is harmful under its intended use.  

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral, mined from the earth, which is composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Chemically, talc is a hydrous magnesium silicate with a chemical formula of MgSi₃O₁₀(OH)₂.

Talc has many uses in cosmetics and other personal care products; in food, such as rice and chewing gum; and in the manufacture of tablets. For example, it may be used to absorb moisture, to prevent caking, to make facial makeup opaque, or to improve the feel of a product. Talcum Powder has Talc as its main ingredient.  Talc is the softest-known mineral and talcum powder has been used for decades as a lubricant, in cosmetics and for personal hygiene. Johnson & Johnson's baby powder was one of the company's original products and has been sold for more than a 100 years.  

Asbestos is also a naturally occurring silicate mineral, but with a different crystal structure. Both talc and asbestos are naturally occurring minerals that may be found in close proximity in the earth. Unlike talc, however, asbestos is a known carcinogen. For this reason, FDA considers it unacceptable for cosmetic talc to be contaminated with asbestos.

Published scientific literature going back to the 1960s has suggested a possible association between the use of powders containing talc and the incidence of ovarian cancer. However, these studies have not conclusively demonstrated such a link, or if such a link existed, what risk factors might be involved. Nevertheless, questions about the potential contamination of talc with asbestos have been raised since the 1970s.  

To prevent contamination of talc with asbestos, it is essential to select talc mining sites carefully and take steps to purify the ore sufficiently since Talc and asbestos are fairly close to one another while both are in the ground.

Because safety questions about the possible presence of asbestos in talc are raised periodically, the FDA decided to conduct an exploratory survey of currently marketed cosmetic-grade raw material talc, as well as some cosmetic products containing talc.

Because the FDA’s cosmetic laboratories do not have the equipment needed to perform the analyses, a search for a qualified outside laboratory to do the work was undertaken.  One was found  and was contracted with the Analytical Services, Inc. (AMA) of Lanham, to conduct a laboratory survey, based on demonstrated experience with asbestos analysis in complex matrices, appropriate facilities, equipment, personnel, analytical strategy, and budget criteria. The study ran from September 28, 2009 to September 27, 2010.

The first step was to identify cosmetic talc suppliers and talc-containing cosmetic products. Seven talc suppliers were identified in the 2008 edition of the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook and two more by searching online. The contract laboratory contacted each supplier to request samples of its talc. Of the nine suppliers in which the request was made, four complied with the request. This tells you something about the lack of the credibility of the other five suppliers.

 Talc-containing cosmetic products were analyzed by visiting various retail outlets in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The samples identified for testing included low, medium, and high priced products, along with some from “niche” markets, in order to cover as broad a product range as possible. A total of thirty-four cosmetic products containing talc were selected, including eye shadow, blush, foundation, face powder, and body powder. All cosmetic products were purchased from retail stores in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

The contract laboratory analyzed the samples using polarized light microscopy (PLM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods published by the New York State Department of Health, Environmental Laboratory Approval Program. Each sample was analyzed three times using both methods.

The survey found no asbestos fibers or structures in any of the samples of cosmetic-grade raw material talc or cosmetic products containing talc. The results were limited, however, by the fact that only four talc suppliers submitted samples and by the number of products tested. For these reasons, while FDA found these results informative, they do not prove that most or all talc or talc-containing cosmetic products currently marketed in the United States are likely to be free of asbestos contamination.

When we think of talcum powder, many of us picture chortling babies and smiling mothers changing diapers. Nothing seems more safe and wholesome. And many women use talc products daily, as well, for feminine hygiene and after showering.

Johnson & Johnson's Shower to Shower is marketed as, "Just a sprinkle a day helps keep odor away." H0wever many women have filed lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, arguing that talc in this and other products led to their ovarian cancers and that the company should have warned them of that potential danger.

in the last few decades, some studies have suggested a possible link between talc and ovarian cancer. Levin recently wrote an article outlining the long-held concerns and the hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of women or their survivors against Johnson & Johnson.

These studies go back, he says, to a British study in 1971. Researchers reported that microscopic analysis of 13 ovarian tumors found talc particles in 10 of them. Several other studies followed in the early 1980s in the United States and Europe and suggested that women who use talc feminine hygiene products may have up to a 35% higher risk of ovarian cancer than women who don’t those products.

But findings have been mixed and researchers don't have a clear mechanism that might lead talc to cause cancer. One theory is that talc causes inflammation.  The theory is that the talc can travel through the genital track to the ovaries and that the inflammation is then caused by talc particles being deposited there which then  leads to cancer.

About 21,000 cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States and about 14,000 women die in the US alone from ovarian cancer each year. Researchers who believe there is a definite causal link, estimate that talcum powder use could cause about 2,100 cases, or 10 percent, of those ovarian cancers.

The evidence is being weighed in US civil courts. Decisions probably should be made somewhere else however, they are being  resolved by people filing lawsuits against major companies, and scientists and experts are being arrayed on both sides to argue about what the evidence really shows that is causing those deaths.

There are approximately 700 lawsuits in the United States however, most of them in St. Louis and in New Jersey where Johnson & Johnson is headquartered," But the numbers are still going up, so there probably are more lawsuits currently and to come.  

One lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson went to trial and a jury gave its verdict in 2013. A woman named Deane Berg claimed that her ovarian cancer was caused by years of talc powder use for feminine hygiene and that the company knew of the potential link.       

Johnson & Johnson says there is no reason to warn consumers because studies have shown J&J that talcum powder used is safe. On its website, the company writes, "Few ingredients have demonstrated the same performance, mildness and safety profile as cosmetic talc, which has been used for over 100 years by millions of people around the world." It goes on to note that talc is used "in a range of other consumer products such as toothpaste, chewing gum, and aspirin.”

To back up this assertion, the company cites findings on talc's safety in 2013 by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an industry-funded group that says it does independent scientific reviews.

In my opinion, J&J’s self-serving ads don’t really present real evidence that its talc ingredient is safe to use by women. As an example, when Volkswagen advertised their cars, as being magnificent vehicles, they didn’t mention that their engines were spouting out excess diesel  fumes.

Many studies in women have looked at the possible link between talcum powder and cancer of the ovary. Findings have been mixed, with some studies reporting a slightly increased risk and some reporting no increase. Many case-control studies have found a small increase in risk. But these types of studies can be biased because they often rely on a person’s memory of talc use many years earlier. Two prospective cohort studies, which would not have the same type of potential bias, have not found an increased risk.

Nevertheless, researchers have known for more than thirty years that the perineal use of talcum powder is associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. However, the substance is not regulated in the United States and no product warning labels are attached to talcum powder products.

Lois Slemp, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012, blames her illness on her use of Johnson & Johnson's talcum-containing products for more than 40 years.

Her jury ruled in favour for 62-year-old Lois Slemp, of Wise, Virginia, comes after three previous St. Louis juries awarded a total of $197 million to plaintiffs who made similar claims. Those cases, including the previous highest award of $417 million, are all under appeal. About 2,000 state and federal lawsuits are in courts across the country over concerns about health problems caused by prolonged talcum powder use.

Johnson & Johnson, based in Brunswick, New Jersey, said in a statement that it would appeal and disputed the scientific evidence behind the plaintiffs’ allegations. The company also noted that a St. Louis jury found in its favour in March and that two cases in New Jersey were thrown out by a judge who said there wasn’t reliable evidence that talc leads to ovarian cancer.

Just because a jury concludes that talcum products  cause  ovarian cancer doesn’t make it so. However, they were obviously persuaded by the testimony of scientists and that fact can’t be ignored.

What is required is a  very detailed investigation on talcum products to satisfy the women of the world that it is safe to use that product. If the product puts women at risk, what risk is there when it is sprinkled on babies’ bottoms or is inhaled and ends up in human lungs?