DES(diethylstilbestrol)
A man-made (synthetic) form of estrogen, a female hormone. Between 1938 and 1971, millions of women in the United States were given DES to keep them from having a miscarriage ("losing" their babies) or giving birth too early. DES was used in other countries until at least the early 1980s.
In 1971, researchers found that women who were exposed to DES before they were born are more likely to get a certain kind of cancer of the vagina and cervix (called clear cell adenocarcinoma, or CCA). These women are called "DES daughters."
Women who were given DES appear to have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. Most research suggests that the risk of breast cancer in DES-exposed mothers is about 30% higher than the risk of women who have not been exposed to this drug. When considering breast cancer risk during a woman's lifetime, this means about 1 out of 6 women who were given DES during pregnancy will get breast cancer, as opposed to about 1 out of 8 women who were not exposed to DES. Of course, many other factors affect breast cancer risk as well.
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