J&J talc settlement: Does talcum powder really increase ovarian cancer risk?

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle lawsuits alleging that its talcum powder products caused ovarian cancer and other illnesses because they contained asbestos. The proposed settlement, among the largest of its kind in US history, comes after years of litigation, conflicting scientific evidence and repeated legal setbacks for the company.For decades, the pharmaceutical giant sold talc-based baby powder and other products. Thousands of consumers alleged that long-term use caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma — a rare and aggressive cancer in the thin tissue lining our internal organs — because the talc was contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen. The company has consistently denied that its talc products were unsafe and says the settlement is int