(Sheryl Ubelacker/ Canadian Press) — Baby powder maker Johnson & Johnson has been the subject of a string of lawsuits, including two pending class-action cases in Canada, over allegations its product caused ovarian cancer in thousands of women who used the sweet-smelling, moisture-reducing agent for feminine hygiene.
While some suits already heard in the U.S. have resulted in juries awarding massive amounts in compensation, studies on talcum powder’s potential link to the gynecological cancer have produced often contrary conclusions, leaving women to wonder: is it safe to use baby powder or not?
“The evidence that we have is mixed and has to be taken with a little bit of scepticism,” said Dr. James Bentley, a gynecological oncologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Though some studies have found what appears to be a link, others have found no association, depending in part on their design, he said.
There’s also the issue of the way talc molecules interact with the body, which researchers don’t have a good handle on, Bentley said. (…)