How Does Talc Cause Cancer?

As Talcum powder lawsuits are on the rise, consumers find themselves scrambling for information: How exactly is Talc (also known as baby powder) harmful and how exactly does talc cause cancer?

Attorney Jerry Parker, partner in the law firm Parker Waichman LLP, answers the most common questions around Talcum Powder lawsuits:

How does Talc powder cause ovarian cancer?

Women use talcum powder for many feminine reasons. Because of its use, it’s so close to the genital area. It is believed that talcum powder tainted with asbestos can reach the reproductive organs and cause inflammation to develop which then potentially can cause cells to mutate and for cancer growth in the ovaries.

What is the harmful ingredient in talcum powder?

The harmful ingredient in talcum powder is talc. It’s a rock hard mineral and during the process of preparing it to be used in the powders and grinding it down so that it’s in a very fine powder form, many minerals are removed.

However, the smallest fibers that are left in the finely ground powder are similar to the carcinogenic fibers found in asbestos.

In addition, asbestos itself has been found in natural talc powders and so that’s extremely harmful as well many scientific studies show a link between asbestos exposure and cancer of the lungs, ovaries and larynx.

Mesothelioma is the type of cancer that is most typically caused by and pretty much universally caused by asbestos exposure.

What are common symptoms of ovarian cancer?

Common symptoms of ovarian cancer are fatigue, back pain, constipation, irregular periods, abnormal bleeding, weight loss accompanied by abdominal swelling.

Now when ovarian cancer is diagnosed early there’s a 90 percent chance that a woman will survive at least five years after the diagnosis. That’s pretty poor.

Even when you’re diagnosing it early, a five-year survival rate.

Obviously ovarian cancer is something that no woman wants and if there’s a product on the market that has a chance of exposing a woman to that kind of injury that could result in death, that’s a product that people should not be using and should have a warning on it to let people at least make their own choice based upon the warning.

But if there’s no warning on the product, then people don’t know and people aren’t able to make a choice because they’re being denied access to an extremely important piece of information.

Now if the cancer had spread to other parts of the body, the chances of survival drop significantly.

How can ovarian cancer be diagnosed?

Unfortunately most ovarian cancers are not detected at their early stage even with routine pelvic exams. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often acute and present vaguely and most women are not diagnosed until they’re at advanced stages of the ovarian cancer stage three or stage four.

Should I get a pelvic exam to determine if I have ovarian cancer caused by talcum powder?

I’m a lawyer not a doctor but I think every woman should have a pelvic exam every one to three years based upon their doctor’s advice. If you’re experiencing any abnormal symptoms in regards to your reproductive system you most certainly should be talking to your doctor and asking the doctor what you should be doing and whether you should have an ovarian cancer screening.

There are two tests used to screen for ovarian cancer. They are the transvaginal ultrasound and a blood test known as a ca125. Transvaginal ultrasound test looks at the uterus, the fallopian tubes, the ovaries using sound waves.

It can detect if there’s a mass or a tumor on the ovaries but can’t tell if the tumor is cancerous or benign. It can only tell you if the tumor is there, you can actually see the tumor, you can see the mass. The mass would have to be biopsied so if you had a tumor identified in the ultrasound, it’s likely your doctor would then take a biopsy and send it to a lab to determine if it was cancerous or not.

However thankfully most masses found during these ultrasounds are not cancerous but you have to check. You just can’t tell from looking at it.

Now the ca125 blood test measures a protein called ca125. Women who have ovarian cancer often have high levels of ca125. High levels could also be caused by more common conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease.

A better test to screen for ovarian cancer is the transvaginal ultrasound and then, if the mass is found, it should be followed up with a biopsy to determine whether it’s cancerous or not.

FAQ: How does talc cause cancer?

Video source: How Does Talc Cause Cancer?

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