The record
The earliest study McTiernan's testimony pointed to is Cramer et al. 1982, which reported a relative risk of 1.92 (P<0.003) for ovarian cancer among women who regularly used talc as a perineal dusting powder or on sanitary napkins, and 3.28 (P<0.001) for both practices combined.
Claim scope
A published, quantitative ovarian-cancer risk measure for perineal talc use, in print in 1982 — ten years before the August 1992 memo. Cramer DW et al., Cancer 1982;50(2):372-6. This substantiates McTiernan's 'as early as 1982 ... up to two times increased risk' testimony: 1.92 is 'up to two times.'
What this source does not establish
It establishes NOTHING about Black or Hispanic women. The study population was 215 white female cases and 215 controls. It is a case-control study reporting RRs without confidence intervals (P-values only, per 1982 convention) and its authors described the finding as providing only 'some support' for an association.
Limitations
MANDATORY LIMITATION FOR THE PAGE: the 1982 study enrolled WHITE WOMEN ONLY ('215 white females with epithelial ovarian cancers'). This is why McTiernan corrected Rep. Pressley on the record. The page must never present the 1982 finding as a race-specific risk estimate, and must never repeat the '3 times more likely' figure Rep. Pressley attributed to it.
Source
Pmid — 7083145