‘Why I blame Johnson and Johnson baby talc for cancer that robbed me of my voice’

Cassandra Wardle says her mum used talcum powder on her every day when she was a baby – now she is one of thousands of British women who blame the product for causing their cancer.

Mrs Wardle is part of a 2,000-strong UK group represented by lawyers who claim global pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson “knew for decades” there was allegedly asbestos in its talc. But J&J insists its baby product was safe and stressed it “takes the issue of talc safety incredibly seriously”.

If the action goes ahead it is understood to be the first of its kind against the US-based multi-national corporation in the UK. Claimants include cancer patients, survivors, bereaved families and also some men.

Mrs Wardle was just 44 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after visiting her GP about increased menstrual bleeding in 2022. She told the Mirror she believes Johnson and Johnson put profit over people’s health.

The businesswoman, now 47, says she has lost her health, the life she had, the chance to have children, her business and now her voice.

As a 70s baby, Mrs Wardle’s mum used talcum powder on her every day, a ritual she continued well into her 20s.

Mrs Wardle, from Alfreton, Derbyshire, said: “It’s just what people did. Johnson and Johnson talcum powder was in every home and was a trusted brand. I am grateful to still be here, but I am also incredibly angry.”

“I want to know why Johnson and Johnson didn’t change the ingredients of the talcum powder when they knew that it was dangerous. Why did they carry on selling it, putting so many thousands of lives at risk? What they have done is nothing short of despicable.”

Following her cancer diagnosis Mrs Wardle underwent a challenging seven-hour operation with multiple surgeons, leading to her receiving an initial diagnosis, Stage 1c. But after completing chemotherapy, she was told the cancer had spread throughout her lungs and chest and was told she only had months to live.

After suffering horrific side effects, she opted out of further chemotherapy to pursue medical trials, later testing produced a more positive prognosis and she completed her treatment two years ago in August.

She had repeated bouts of tonsillitis for more than nine months, after her immune system was depleted during chemotherapy, and now cannot speak. She had to whisper each word to our reporter to get her voice across.

Mrs Wardle told the Mirror she believed J&J were more concerned about money than customers, saying: “They are a giant powerhouse and it troubles me that it was profit before people, that’s how it feels to me as someone who living and breathing with cancer and still does every day.

“My husband, Phil, and parents have become my carers, it’s not just the person with cancer it affects it is the whole family and friends who suffer, every part of my life has been affected.”

Tom Longstaff, the lawyer leading the UK case and a partner at KP Law, which has already been contacted by 4,000 potential claimants and represents around 2,000 currently with regard to claims against J&J relating to talcum powder, said the matter would be yet another example of a ‘trusted’ corporation putting profits before consumer safety, with tragic consequences.

“All of the claimants, predominantly women but also some men, who have sustained cancer after using J&J’s talcum powder products have experienced a life-changing illness. In some cases, they have died from their cancer, leaving their families devastated. All of these innocent individuals deserve justice.

“There are thousands of women in the UK who will have been diagnosed with cancers which have been identified as being linked to the use of talcum powder and may well have a case against J&J, along with a smaller proportion of men with regard to mesothelioma and peritoneal cancer.

“This once-trusted corporation knew for decades that the asbestos in its talc products was present, that it was dangerous, but did nothing to notify consumers of the risk, who have ended up paying the highest price imaginable for the sake of corporate greed. We are committed to helping as many people as possible achieve justice in the UK for the actions of profit-hungry executives in US boardrooms.”

Talc is a mineral that is sometimes used in talcum powders and other cosmetic products, according to Cancer Research UK.

Sophia Lowes, from the charity, said: “[Talc] can be mined in places where there is asbestos, which can cause the talc to become contaminated. Asbestos is known to cause mesothelioma and cancers of the lung, larynx and ovary.

“The sale of products containing asbestos is banned in the UK and cosmetic products need to be safety-tested before they can be sold.”

J&J has previously said that “any suggestion that Johnson & Johnson knew or hid information about the safety of talc is false”.

The company discontinued mineral-based talc in North America in 2020 – and followed suit in the UK in 2023 – replacing it with cornstarch.

KP Law is leading the British case, representing around 2,000 people. The legal experts claim J&J knew as early as the 1970s that asbestos in its talc products was dangerous but failed to warn consumers and carried on producing and selling the products in the UK until as recently as 2022.

KP Law has now issued a letter before action on behalf of its clients, and J&J have until the end of the year to respond, following which documents will be filed in the High Court.

The global giant has already set aside more than $6bn to settle ovarian cancer cases in the US with a further amount of more than $4bn for people diagnosed with mesothelioma.

A J&J spokesperson said the company has won the “vast majority” of trials in the US or won cases on appeal.

A statement from Johnson & Johnson Ltd added: “Lawsuits in the US have unfortunately created unfounded confusion and unnecessary fear about an ingredient that has been used safely in foods, cosmetic products, pharmaceuticals, and a host of consumer products for decades.

We sympathise deeply with patients who are suffering from cancer and their families. However, the science and the facts show that their illnesses were not caused by the use of our talc-based products.

“We stand behind the safety of talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder as decades of testing by experts at leading institutions using the most state-of-the-art testing protocols demonstrates that the product is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.”