A study of daughters of women given diethylstilbestrol, synthetic estrogen, during pregnancy has found that exposure to the drug while in the womb is associated with many reproductive problems and an increased risk of certain cancers.
DES is definitely no a drug of the past : this chart highlights the increased health risks associated with DES exposure, compared to the risks for women who were not exposed to DES in the womb.
Read Women exposed to Diethylstilbestrol in the Womb face increased Cancer Risk from the NIH/National Cancer Institute,
October 6, 2011.
More DES DiEthylStilbestrol Resources
- DES studies on cancers and screening.
- DES studies on epigenetics and transgenerational effects.
- DES studies on fertility and pregnancy.
- DES studies on gender identity and psychological health.
- DES studies on in-utero exposure to DES and side-effects.
- DES studies on the genital tract.
- Papers on DES lawsuits.
- DES videos and posts tagged DES, the DES-exposed, DES victims.
A DES Daughter's Blog 
I’m wondering what the risk for breast cancer is for a women DES exposed, 8 years on fertility drugs, no live birth, already had CIS of the cervix and vagina (which was a DES cancer, not the cervical, that was HPV) and on HRT. Yes, I know I shouldn’t be on HRT but I begged for it because the hot flashes were so bad that it was unliveable, over 50 a day. What’s the risks for all that? Anyone doing a study on that? Just curious. I figure since I had just about every side effect from the DES it will find a way to kill me too. The only side effect that I did not have was the clear cell cancer, but of course, there is still time! You never know!
Hi Dianne
Did you see HRT-use associated with an increased Risk of Breast Cancer, Research suggests. FYI our WordPress “search box” (top right widget) is quite powerful and we are reaching 944 posts published…
The NCBI site offers fantastic resources, using their top search box
hope this helps
Hi Dianne
I read your post and cried because your experiences have been so like my own, including IVF, childlessness, cancer etc.
Please get off the HRT now … I was on it for around 18 months and have ended up with additional major problems, including a DVT. While the hot flushes were and still are dreadful, at least they are better than the alternative.
Love
H
thank you Helene
hugs
Helene, thank you for your kind reply. The story is even worse than what I originally posted. I decided on the HRT as a complete last resort. I figured I’d take my chances. I’ve already been clinically dead twice, so what’s the big deal. I live each and every day like it’s my last. My GYN is extremely knowledgeable in DES, trained at Long Island Jewish Hospital with someone who had something to do with the DES Action Committee. My GYN was the one who discovered the cancer, although at the time we didn’t think it was cancer, took one look at me and asked me if I was DES exposed, so I have a huge amount of faith in what he does for me. I just saw him last week and we talked about the HRT and he said I could stay on it. Before I was on it, I sat in his office and had about 10 hot flashes in less than 15 minutes. He asked me how often I was having them. I told him probably more than 50 a day, closer to 100. I just couldn’t live like that. And I had been going through that for 6 years. I had had enough, couldn’t take it anymore. We had tried the bio identical, didn’t work. Tried a bunch of supplements, didn’t work. The only thing that has made me feel better was the Cenistan. I figure if I get breath cancer I’ll deal with it. It will be caught fast because I see him every year if not more and have a mammogram every year. I know I should not be on it, but I was ready to kill myself because the hot flashes were so bad. I still get them, but only occasionally. This was a quality of life decision and I know the risk I am taking. But I’m willing to take it. I’ve got so many health issues which I do believe some are because of DES but at some point, I’ve got to be able to live my life. We are all in the same boat. It’s terrible all the things we have had to indure. I’m sure more is to come and I’ll take it as it comes like it have done all along. The good thing about the HRT is at age 58, I don’t have a wrinkle on my face! And I live in the sun, always have. I figure something is going to get me, most likely cancer so place. I have crappy genes, a horrible immune system, get every germ and virus within a 50 mile radius! But I stay positive and really believe in the positive. Like I said I’ve been dead twice, really just about dead once and dead the second time. I had open heart surgery 5 years ago, so aside from being on the heart lung machine, the doctors told my husband that I would have died within 2 weeks if I had not had the surgery when I did. So you see, I’ve lived through a lot, experiences a lot and right now, I just want some peace and quiet in my life and not worry about my health! So that’s why I’m on the HRT. I just wanted some quality of life.
Ok, I rambled on long enough, thank you again for your beautiful reply. You are right about everything you said and I know I’m taking a huge risk, but right now it seems the best decision for me. I know, I’m crazy!
Dear Dianne, I am in your same boat. I have every symptom of DES exposure too. I was raised in the San Fernando Valley, California. In my early twenties, I had a large Ovarian Teratoma removed along with my right ovary. It took me four years to conceive only to miscarry twice. In my forties, I had cervical dysplasia and a Endometrioma on my remaining ovary and was forced to have a hysterectomy, oophorectomy and was put on HRT. In 2008, I was diagnosed with Noninvasive (in situ) breast cancer. Estrogen receptor (ER) positive and I had a double mastectomy. My oncology told me to get off the estrogen patch I was using and I tried for 6 months. My quality of life was so diminished that I found I would rather take my chances with a low dose of estrogen. I am currently taking 1/2 the amount I had previously been on and it seems to hold me (.0125 climara). I have been cancer free for 5 years. Recently, my daughter was advised that doctors are revisiting the natural need for women to have estrogen regardless of their cancer history. I cannot recommend my choice for any one else, but I like you have chosen to retain a quality of life that makes me able to function as opposed to a non-functioning life that is miserable every minute of the day.
Dear Sharon, OMG, have you had a horror story. I thought my issues were bad. Congratulations on being cancer free. Now to just stay that way. Unfortunately for me, I’m on a high dose of clonipin. We started at the lowest and had to raise it up 2x. I’m on 2.5 mg I think, which is pretty high. I can’t get off off it because if I forget to take it for a day, it’s a nightmare. I can’t believe how bad the hot flashes are. I saw my GYN a few months ago and he said we will just watch me super carefully. I didn’t know they were looking at the estrogens again but that may pertain the non-DES women. Like you said, I would not recommend my choice to anyone, but for me it was the only choice. It’s funny that you got cervical displasia in your 40’s. Your lucky in that respect. I had cervical polyps and displasia in my late teens, early 20’s. That why I had cancer in my 30’s. I had a whole bunch of stuff that I can’t spell! Dysmemoria, amemoria, fibroids, an overian tumor that was under an overian cyst. Lost my ovary in that one. I think I was 39 or 40. I also ended up having my hysterectomy in my early 50’s, I thing 3 years post menopause. I was bleeding a lot, couldn’t figure out from what, maybe the fibroids. He did leave my right ovary though. But the funny thing is, I don’t worry about breast cancer, I worry about ovarian cancer! But like everything else, it’s been a journey. The doctors have not a clue what to do with us, but for me fortunately, I live in the NY area and a lot of the research has come out of Columbia Pres or Mt Sinai. And my GYN is the best. He has saved my life on more than one occasion. We are going to survive this one way or another!