No definitive link uncovered between talc and ovarian cancer

DEAR DR. ROACH >> Please help me understand the connection between the use of baby powder or talcum powder and ovarian cancer. I can’t grasp how a product that is applied externally can migrate to the ovaries and cause cancer.

— K.M.

DEAR READER >> Talcum powder, in its raw form, contains small amounts of asbestos, which is known to cause lung cancer when inhaled. Some theorize that asbestos might enter the vagina and travel up the fallopian tubes to affect the ovaries.

A study in 1996 showed that women who reported frequent use of talc to the genital area did have microscopic amounts of talc following removal of the ovaries (none of which were removed for ovarian cancer). However, there were no precursors to cancer found in these women’s ovaries. Another theory involves development of certain antibodies; however, these antibodies have no known role in causing ovarian cancer.

Studies looking at women with ovarian cancer have suggested they have an increased use of talcum powder. It’s also possible that women who have a history of ovarian cancer are more likely to remember using talcum powder. This recollection could possibly cause a false-positive study. This is called recall bias. Different types of studies, following large number of women before they had a diagnosis of prostate cancer, have found no significant association between talcum powder use and ovarian cancer.

I spoke with a renowned expert on ovarian cancer, who felt strongly there is no risk of ovarian cancer associated with talcum powder. Nevertheless, a 2018 court case in Missouri awarded billions of dollars to women with a history of ovarian cancer, and an appeals court declined to hear the pharmaceutical company’s appeal.