Serous Ovarian Cancer Caused by Exposure to Asbestos and Fibrous Talc in Cosmetic Talc Powders—A Case Series

Serous Ovarian Cancer Caused by Exposure to Asbestos and Fibrous Talc in Cosmetic Talc Powders—A Case Series

OBJECTIVE:Asbestos is a known cause of ovarian cancer. We report 10 cases of serous ovarian cancer among users of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) asbestos-containing “cosmetic” talc products. METHODS:We conducted an asbestos exposure assessment during talc application and analyzed surgical tissues a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of occupational and environmental medicine Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. e65 - e77
Main Authors: Steffen, Joan E., Tran, Triet, Yimam, Muna, Clancy, Kate M., Bird, Tess B., Rigler, Mark, Longo, William, Egilman, David S.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 01-02-2020
Copyright by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
Subjects:
Asbestos
Asbestos, Amphibole
Cancer
Containers
Cosmetics
Environmental Exposure - analysis
Exposure
Female
Fibers
Humans
Mesothelioma
Middle Aged
Minerals
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian Neoplasms - chemically induced
Powders
Talc
Tissues
Tremolite
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Summary:OBJECTIVE:Asbestos is a known cause of ovarian cancer. We report 10 cases of serous ovarian cancer among users of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) asbestos-containing “cosmetic” talc products. METHODS:We conducted an asbestos exposure assessment during talc application and analyzed surgical tissues and talc containers for asbestos and talc. RESULTS:Talc was found in all cases and tremolite and/or anthophyllite asbestos was found in 8/10 cases. The asbestos fibers found in the “cosmetic” talc containers matched those found in tissues. We estimated inhaled asbestos dose ranged from 0.38 to 5.18 fiber years. CONCLUSION:We provide evidence that the inhaled dose of asbestos/fibrous talc from “cosmetic” talc use causes ovarian cancer. The unique combination of the types of asbestiform minerals detected in cancerous tissue and “cosmetic” talc is a fingerprint for exposure to asbestos-containing talc.
ISSN:1076-2752
1536-5948
DOI:10.1097/JOM.0000000000001800