Despite Massive Payout In J&J Talc Case, Experts Divided Over Whether Powder Causes Cancer
The National Cancer Institute concludes “the weight of evidence does not support an association between perineal talc exposure and an increased risk of ovarian cancer.” But experts aren't ruling out that the link might be proven someday. In other public health news: a skin lightening procedure and buying happiness.
The Washington Post:
Does Talcum Powder Cause Ovarian Cancer?
Does talcum powder cause ovarian cancer? A Los Angeles jury thinks so. This week it ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay $417 million to 63-year-old Eva Echeverria. She blamed her terminal illness on Johnson's Baby Powder, which she used for decades starting at age 11. The company should have warned consumers about the risk, she argued. (McGinley, 8/25)
The New York Times:
A New Skin Lightening Procedure Is Short On Evidence
Samantha Peters is trading in her foundation and concealer for an IV. For years, she’s had a daily makeup routine to cover dark blotches on her face and the discoloration and scarring on her arms that won’t go away — a common problem for those with darker skin tones. Now she’s hoping a new treatment, intravenous glutathione, will accomplish what makeup and skin bleaching creams could not: an even, lighter skin tone. (Pattani, 8/28)
NPR:
Buying Time, Not Stuff, Might Make You Happier
Money can't buy happiness, right? Well, some researchers beg to differ. They say it depends on how you spend it. A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that when people spend money on time-saving services such as a house cleaner, lawn care or grocery-delivery, it can make them feel a little happier. By comparison, money spent on material purchases – aka things – does not boost positive emotions the way we might expect. (Aubrey, 8/28)
