Can Talcum Powder Give You Cancer? J&J Is About to Find Out

(MoneyWatch)  Of all the products Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) makes, you'd think its famous talcum Baby Powder would be free from litigation. But no. A Sioux Falls, S.D., woman claims that J&J's talc caused her ovarian cancer:

Deane Berg, 52, applied talc-based body powder to her perineum each day after showering from 1975 to 2007, she says in a federal lawsuit filed last week. She contracted ovarian cancer in 2006.

The American Cancer Society says the studies don't agree:

It has been suggested that talcum powder may be carcinogenic to the covering layer of the ovaries through the migration of talcum powder particles (applied to the genital area, sanitary napkins, diaphragms, or condoms) through the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes to the ovary. Several epidemiologic studies have examined the relationship between talcum powder and cancer of the ovary. Findings are mixed, with some studies reporting a slightly increased risk and some reporting no association.

As you can see here and here, while the academic jury may be out on talc cancers, plaintiffs lawyers are hoping to line up actual juries to answer the question.