Talc cancer ‘ ticking timebomb’
Women warned against the risk of disease due to use of toiletry
Asolicitor has warned of a “ticking timebomb” of cancer among middleaged women due to using talcum powder as teenagers.
Phillip Gower, of Simpson Millar solicitors, fears thousands of British women could have deadly cancer linked to extensive use of talc sold by popular high street brands.
Many victims are unaware that their diagnosis of life- threatening cancers could be linked to ingredients of the commonly used product, he argues.
US victims have already sued talc manufacturers for millions after getting ovarian cancer or asbestos- related mesothelioma, and now UK victims could follow suit.
Mr Gower has teamed up with a US attorney, who has a string of court victories for women with talc- related cancer under his belt, according to a Daily Mail report.
The news comes after a New Jersey investment banker was awarded $ 117 million (£ 88m) in damages in April after developing mesothelioma through asbestos dust in Johnson and Johnson talcum powders.
There have been thousands of lawsuits filed against Johnson & Johnson and other companies claiming that the talcum powder causes cancer.
Mr Gower, who estimates thousands of British men and women have been affected, said: “It’s a massive scandal and is only going to get bigger. There is a big problem out there. So far we are just scratching the surface. This is a ticking
timebomb.”
“We believe many women were unaware that using talcum powder could have been bad for them and some of them are now seriously ill.
“Others have unfortunately died and their families only found out about the potential link afterwards.”
Mr Gower, an expert on asbestos related mesothelioma — heavily linked to the use of talc, added: “People are rightly worried and concerned. It was an incredibly popular product among women just a few decades ago and now they are paying the price. They should have been told about the risks but they were kept in the dark.”
Talcum powder is made
from talc, a soft mineral found in deposits often located near asbestos deposits.
Studies have shown that there is a risk of crosscontamination during mining.
Exposure to asbestos fibers has been linked to mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart.
But this potentially toxic ingredient was gradually phased out in the 1980s, due to improved mining techniques, as per the Daily Mail report.
Affected brands linked to cases of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma were used by British women in the sixties and seventies as part of their daily beauty regime.
Joanne Anderson, 66, who claimed she used the baby powder frequently to keep her hands and feet dry for bowling, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure ( pictured with her husband Gary)
Johnson & Johnson was hit in May by yet another multi- million dollar jury verdict in favor of a woman who said asbestos in its talcum baby powder gave her cancer.
Giannecchini, of Modesto, California was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 and accused the company of ' negligent conduct'
Joanne Anderson, 66, who claimed she used the baby powder frequently to keep her hands and feet dry for bowling, was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a form of cancer linked to asbestos exposure.
Mrs Anderson, who lives in Williams, Oregon, is one of thousands of people with court cases brought against Johnson & Johnson over talc powder.
A Los Angeles court awarded $ 4 million (£ 3m) in punitive damages to Anderson and her husband after getting $ 21.7 million (£ 16m) in compensatory damages.
And in October 2016, a jury awarded a woman $ 70 million (£ 53m) in damages against Johnson & Johnson after the woman claimed talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer.
Deborah Giannecchini, of Modesto, California was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 and accused the company of ' negligent conduct' in making and and marketing the baby powder.
The lawsuit claimed Mrs Giannecchini contracted the disease after using baby powder.
To date, brands that have been subject to successful legal action in the US include the market leader Johnson and Johnson's baby powder.
Old Spice, Desert Flower and Friendship Garden have also had to pay out. Other major brands from the era are also believed to have sold contaminated talcs and have court cases pending. US- based attorney Brendan Tully has now teamed up with Mr Gower to help British victims and their families.
He was the first attorney to successfully highlight the cancer link in New York State and win a case against a talcum powder company.