The IARC Acknowledges Possibility Talc Carcinogenic To Humans
The cancer research wing of the World Health Organization upgraded its classification of talc's carcinogenic probability in light of consistent research study patterns leaning toward a correlation between the substance and ovarian cancer.
Monday, October 26, 2015 - The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency that is a large part of the World Health Organization (WHO), has identified talc as being a substance that is possibly linked to cancer. While the agency declares that talc containing asbestos, that was not outlawed until 1973 by the FDA, is a carcinogen, the IARC maintained that despite growing data supporting the link between talc and ovarian cancer, there remain random factors and possible research biases that prevent them from determining whether the substance is definitively carcinogenic or not.
The IARC is an important branch of the WHO located in Lyon, France that's main goals include researching and determining the various causes and treatments of cancer around the world. The agency recently made headlines worldwide for declaring that consuming processed meats can increase a person's likelihood of contracting cancer. They have used similar investigative resources to investigate talc, the main focus of hundreds lawsuits filed in the U.S. which claim that Johnson & Johnson failed to warn consumers of a possible link between their talcum powder products and an increased risk in contracting ovarian cancer.
The IARC declared in 2006 that talc was a 2b agent, meaning that it was "possibly carcinogenic to humans". This was in contrast to a statement made the previous year when the IARC deemed talc as a substance with insufficient data available to make any claim related to its carcinogenic characteristics. The change to classifying talc as a 2b agent was a substantial shift for the organization, even if it may seem immaterial to those trying to prove that Johnson & Johnson should have been applying warning labels to inform customers of possible carcinogenic dangers. A Johnson & Johnson representative however did criticize the decision, which could be interpreted as a positive development for plaintiffs.
The IARC's assertion that talcum powder research seems to be trending toward their being a positive link between the substance and the development of ovarian cancer is further ammunition for the attorneys of plaintiffs nationwide seeking damages for Johnson & Johnson's failure to warn them of the connection between talcum powder and ovarian cancer. Numerous studies around the globe have discovered correlations between regular talc use and an increased risk in ovarian cancer in women, and plaintiffs claim that either Johnson & Johnson should have been aware of thee and informed customers, or that they knew of the talcum powder research being done and chose to ignore the findings and protect the product's marketability.
The lawsuits have reached over 700 across the country, with evidence ranging from studies conducted by Harvard and Boston University, to doctors who have researched the talc-ovarian cancer relationship for decades declaring that as many as 10,000 women a year may be contracting ovarian cancer with talc as a contributing factor.
Lawsuits have come from across the U.S., with many of them pending in Missouri State court awaiting pretrial proceedings. The dozens there, much like the more than 100 likely headed to multicounty litigation in New Jersey, name Johnson & Johnson as a defendant. In their defense, Johnson & Johnson claim that talcum powder research has yet to find a definitive correlation between regular talcum powder use and ovarian cancer and are submitting competing studies to back up their position.
OnderLaw, LLC -