Exposure to diethylstilbestrol during sensitive life stages: A legacy of heritable health effects

• Published in: Birth defects research. Part C. Embryo today Vol. 99; no. 2; pp. 134 - 146
• Main Authors: Reed, Casey E., Fenton, Suzanne E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, NJ Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2013; Wiley-Liss; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced - embryology; Abnormalities, Drug-Induced - etiology; Abortion, Spontaneous - chemically induced; Abortion, Spontaneous - genetics; Abortion, Spontaneous - prevention & control; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; breast; cancer; DES; development; diethylstilbestrol; Diethylstilbestrol - toxicity; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug toxicity and drugs side effects treatment; Endocrine disruptors; Endocrine Disruptors - administration & dosage; Endocrine Disruptors - toxicity; Female; fetal basis of adult disease; Humans; Maternal Exposure; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous (drug allergy, mutagens, teratogens...); Neoplasms - chemically induced; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - chemically induced; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - genetics; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - prevention & control; Reproduction - drug effects; Antineoplastic agent; Agonist; Toxicity; Estrogen; fetal basis of adult disease; Development; Adult; Diethylstilbestrol; Female; Fetus; Mammary gland; Teratogen; Woman; Age; Human; Exposure; Malignant tumor; Hereditary; Pregnancy; Progeny; DES; Breast; Critical period; Cancer; Hormonal receptor; development; diethylstilbestrol; pregnancy; cancer; breast
• ISSN: 1542-975X; 1542-9768; 1542-9768
• DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.21035

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a potent estrogen mimic that was predominantly used from the 1940s to the 1970s by pregnant women in hopes of preventing miscarriage. Decades later, DES is known to enhance breast cancer risk in exposed women and cause a variety of birth‐related adverse outcomes in their daughters such as spontaneous abortion, second trimester pregnancy loss, preterm delivery, stillbirth, and neonatal death. Additionally, children exposed to DES in utero suffer from sub/infertility and cancer of reproductive tissues. DES is a pinnacle compound that demonstrates the fetal basis of adult disease. The mechanisms of cancer and endocrine disruption induced by DES are not fully understood. Future studies should focus on common target tissue pathways affected and the health of the DES grandchildren. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 99:134–146, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.