DES (Diethylstilbestrol)
US, Canada and Puerto Rico
DES is a synthetic estrogen which was given to women from 1938 until 1971. It was intended to prevent miscarriage and other pregnancy complications. As many as 10 million American women took DES during pregnancy.
Women of DES Mothers Have Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
In August 2006, The Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention journal, found that women whose mothers were prescribed DES (Diethylstilbestrol) during pregnancy have almost double the breast cancer risk. The study examined women whose mothers took DES while they were pregnant with similar women, but who were not exposed to DES in utero. The women over 40 years old, who had exposure to DES had almost twice the risk of developing breast cancer as the unexposed women.
What Are The Statistics?
- Between 2001 & 2003, the study gathered data that 102 women were diagnosed with breast cancer.
- 76 breast cancer diagnoses were among DES daughter.
- 26 breast cancer diagnoses were among those not exposed to DES.
- Women who were exposed to DES in utero had a 91 percent higher risk of breast cancer after age 40, and a three-fold increased risk of breast cancer after age 50, when compared to women not exposed to the drug and after compensating for other breast-cancer risk factors.
The DES breast cancer study included 4,817 women exposed to DES in utero as well as 2,073 women born during the same time frame whose mothers had not taken DES during pregnancy. The researchers suggested that the extra estrogen spurred the development of additional breast stem cells and thus contributed to the increased risk of cancer because the DES daughters received a much higher exposure to the synthetic estrogen. Earlier research had suggested that prenatal hormone levels of DES may affect the risk of breast cancer later in life. The researches were interested in finding the actual breast cancer risk for DES daughters. Most of the women in the study were born in the 1950's.
Legal help for Daughter of DES Mothers:
If you believe you or a loved one may have developed breast cancer based on the statistics and information listed here, contact Balkin & Eisbrouch, LLC for a free consultation. Call 1-800- RESULTS or Email us for more information.
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