In the last a few years, we heard more litigation cases brought by patients with ovarian cancer against the maker of talk/ baby powder.
Talc powder has been studied in the past 20-25 years in its association with ovarian cancer. When these studies were combined, there seems to be a slight increase in relative risk 1.3 (95 percent confidence intervals 1.2–1.5). Relative risk of 1 means no association. RR above one suggests an association. However, an association is not necessarily a causation.
Talc is a silicate material which is chemically classified similarly to asbestos but talc is not asbestos. Asbestos has been clearly associated with certain types of cancer. However, talc powder used in the genital or perineal areas have conflicting information. Although the combination studies mentioned showed a slight increase in risks, one would question on why it is ovarian cancer, rather than cervical or vaginal cancer which anatomically more exposed to the talc powder. Furthermore, the reduction of usage and production of talc powder (from 40,000 to around 5,000 metric tons) has not been associated with the similar degree of reduction in ovarian cancer. Finally, we have been using talc to glue the lining of the lung (pleurodesis) in the treatment of air in lung (pneumothorax). some of these studies have followed these patients of more than 40 years but showed no increased in lung cancer from talc powder.
My recommendation is if you are using talc powder, you may not want to use it until we get more data. you definitely do not want to use talc powder that may be contaminated with asbestos (this is pre 1970 era). I hope you do not keep a 40 year old baby powder and still using it. Our current understanding of the collective data do not support causal effect of talc in inducing ovarian cancer.
