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Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
DES
DES, or diethylstilbestrol, is a synthetic version of estrogen,
a common female hormone. Beginning in the mid-to-late 1940s,
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was prescribed to pregnant women
at high risk for miscarriage and other serious pregnancy complications.
DES was later found to not only be ineffective at preventing
miscarriages, but harmful to fetuses under five months old.
In 1971, after an FDA recall, doctors stopped prescribing
DES to pregnant wome. In the U.S. an estimated 5 to 10 million
persons were exposed to DES from 1938 to 1971, including pregnant
women prescribed DES and their children.
DES is still on the market, but is no longer prescribed for
pregnant or nursing women. It is used to treat symptoms resulting
from menopause, menstrual disorders, postpartum breast enlargement,
primary ovarian failure and chemotherapy for advanced breast
and prostate cancer.
DES Exposure
If you were exposed to DES, it is imperative you visit your
doctor immediately to determine if your exposure is affecting
your health. If you are a DES daughter, you will most likely
be given a thorough pelvic exam. You should check to make
sure your doctor is familiar with the possible problems associated
with DES exposure, since some problems such as clear cell
adenocarcinoma are likely to be found only when the doctor
is looking for them.
If you are a woman who took DES while pregnant, you should
inform your doctor. You should try to learn the dosage, when
the medication was started, and how it was used. You also
should inform your children who were exposed to DES before
birth so that this information can be included in their medical
records. DES-exposed mothers should have regular breast cancer
screening and yearly medical checkups that include a pelvic
examination and a Pap test.
Men who were exposed to DES should inform their physician
of their exposure and be examined periodically. While the
level of risk of developing testicular cancer is unclear among
DES-exposure sons, males with undescended testicles or unusually
small testicles have an increased risk of developing testicular
cancer, whether or not they were exposed to DES.
Diethylstilbestrol - DES
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