title: Diethylstilbestrol: Potential health risks for women exposed in utero and their offspring.
abstract: Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a synthetic estrogen given to pregnant women to prevent miscarriages and preterm labor; the drug was used between 1941 and 1971 in the United States and into the 1980s in other countries. DES exposure is associated with significant long-term health effects, including increased risk for breast cancer, cervical and vaginal clear cell adenocarcinoma, reproductive tract abnormalities, infertility, poor pregnancy outcomes, and early menopause. This article reviews the potential health risks associated with DES exposure, how to assess which patients are at risk, and management recommendations for patients exposed to DES.
authors.affiliation: J. Leocadia Conlon is an assistant professor at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va., and a women's health specialist at the Free Medical Clinic of Northern Shenandoah Valley in Winchester. The author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: J Leocadia
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Conlon
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018262:Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / Q000453:epidemiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000453:epidemiology; D008594:Menopause, Premature; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014564:Urogenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D014625:Vaginal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol