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Lancet Retracts 1998 Paper Hailing Baby Powder Safety

Source: bloomberg.com

The Lancet retracted a 1998 paper that promoted the safety of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder.
The paper, based on a single study of 132 women, claimed no asbestos risk from talc but was found unreliable.
Retraction highlights decades of controversy over talc's links to cancer and lawsuits against J&J.

The Lancet medical journal pulled a decades-old paper praising the safety of talcum powder, especially J&J's baby powder. The 1998 study claimed no asbestos contamination but relied on flawed methods and limited data. Involved parties include J&J, which funded related research, scientists like David Bernstein, and critics who long questioned talc's safety. This matters because it fuels ongoing lawsuits alleging talc causes ovarian cancer and underscores issues with industry-backed science.