Expert Challenges Studies Cited by Plaintiffs
During testimony that stretched into the afternoon, Saenz dismantled studies suggesting talc could cause ovarian cancer, including research pointing to possible asbestos contamination. She argued the science is methodologically flawed and said no professional medical society lists talc as an ovarian cancer risk.
Saenz added that after roughly 30 years in practice and 7,000 surgeries, she does not ask patients about talc use or warn them against it, stressing there is no biological proof talc can migrate from genital use to the ovaries.
When confronted on cross-examination with studies citing talc found in ovarian tissue, Saenz dismissed the findings as potentially attributable to laboratory contamination.
“Simply finding talc in the ovaries doesn’t mean it migrated,” she said. “It could be there from contamination during specimen processing. I’m not hypothesizing how it gets there — but no study has ever shown the migration happens.”
Trial Nears Closing Arguments
The bellwether trial began Nov. 13, with closing arguments expected later this week. Its outcome is set to send shockwaves through the broader national litigation, shaping how jurors interpret decades of disputed science.
