Talc and Mesothelioma

WHAT IS MESOTHELIOMA?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma most often occurs in the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma) or the lining of the body cavity (peritoneal mesothelioma). Mesothelioma is rarely curable, and usually fatal.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that has what is called a latency period. This means that mesothelioma develops years after the exposure to asbestos that caused it. Mesothelioma usually occurs 20-50 years after asbestos exposure.

IF ASBESTOS CAUSES MESOTHELIOMA, WHAT DOES TALC HAVE TO DO WITH IT?

Talc and asbestos are both minerals belonging to a group of minerals called silicates. Talc and asbestos form in the same conditions, and are often found in the same place. Many talc deposits that were historically mined contained asbestos contamination. For more information, see our page on talc and asbestos.

Although some people may have been exposed to talc occupationally, by working in a facility that used talc as a component in products like paint or ceramics or to process other products, many people were exposed to talc through the use of cosmetic or hygienic talcum powder.

In a peer-reviewed article recently published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, researchers from three different laboratories, including Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York and two private laboratories, traced asbestos contamination from talc mines to a cosmetic product historically made with talc from those mines. They then tested historic samples of the product in a "glove box" test and found that when used as intended, it released hazardous amounts of asbestos.

The researchers then analyzed tissue samples of women who had used that cosmetic talcum product earlier in life, and who now had developed mesothelioma. They determined that the type of asbestos fibers in the mines were the same type of asbestos fibers released by historic samples of the product, and the same type of asbestos fibers found in the tissue of women diagnosed with mesothelioma.

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW HAS MESOTHELIOMA

If you or a family member were exposed to talc, either from an occupational exposure such as working in a facility where talc was used, or from use personal talcum powder products, and now has mesothelioma, it's important to know your rights. You may have a claim against companies that exposed you to talc that contained asbestos.

Find out whether you have a case by speaking to one of our experienced talc lawyers via phone at 1-844-TALC123 (1-844-825-2123) or by submitting an email inquiry (see form to the right). Our attorneys will be quick to respond to you and happy to answer all of your questions.