![\"Eva](\"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Eva-Echeverria.jpg\")
<\/a>The lawsuit alleged that the company was aware of cancer risk associated with talcum powder, but concealed that information from the public.<\/p>\n
The verdict included $70m in compensatory damages and $347m in punitive damages.<\/p>\n
Analysis:\u00a0James Gallagher, health editor, BBC news website<\/strong><\/p>\n Is talc safe?<\/strong><\/p>\n There have been concerns for years that using talcum powder, particularly on the genitals, may increase the risk of ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n But the evidence is not conclusive. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies talc used on the genitals as “possibly carcinogenic<\/a>” because of the mixed evidence.<\/p>\n Why is there any debate?<\/strong><\/p>\n The mineral talc in its natural form does contain asbestos and does cause cancer, however, asbestos-free talc has been used in baby powder and other cosmetics since the 1970s. But the studies on asbestos-free talc give contradictory results.<\/p>\n It has been linked to a cancer risk in\u00a0some studies<\/a>, but there are concerns that the research may be biased as they often rely on people remembering how much talc they used years ago. Other studies have argued there is\u00a0no link at all<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0there is no link<\/a>\u00a0between talc in contraceptives such as diaphragms and condoms (which would be close to the ovaries) and cancer.<\/p>\n Also there does not seem to be a “dose-response” for talc, unlike with known carcinogens like tobacco where the more you smoke, the greater the risk of lung cancer.<\/p>\n What should women do?<\/strong><\/p>\n The charity\u00a0Ovacome<\/a>\u00a0says there is no definitive evidence and that the worst-case scenario is that using talc increases the risk of cancer by a third.<\/p>\n But it adds: “Ovarian cancer is a rare disease, and increasing a small risk by a third still gives a small risk. So even if talc does increase the risk slightly, very few women who use talc will ever get ovarian cancer.”<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"