Study finds no significant link between use of talcum powder and risk of ovarian cancer. For decades, questions have persisted about the risks for women who use talcum powder in their genital area and the development of ovarian cancer. One source of concern has been the proximity of talc to asbestos in mining operations. Study findings to date of a powder-cancer link have been inconsistent. Research published in the January 7 JAMA pooled four U.S. studies that included 252,745 women, of whom 38% reported use of powder in the genital area. Because the pooled studies were done at different times and had slight inconsistencies, the JAMA study includes caveats about race, education, and the reliability of memory regarding if or when powder was ever used. The resulting analysis found no statistically significant link between the use of powder in the genital area and ovarian cancer. The study can be read at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2758452.