The Lacuna Project

lacuna (n.) a gap in a record where something should be

Independent research. Not affiliated with any government, agency, or company.

Exhibit 209

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) Exposure and Cancer

Exhibit 209 ยท Agency fact sheet

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) Exposure and Cancer

Soon after, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified health care providers throughout the country that DES should not be prescribed to pregnant women

NCI fact sheet. It records that use of DES declined after studies in the 1950s showed it was not effective in preventing pregnancy complications, that researchers linked prenatal DES exposure to cancer in 1971, that the FDA soon afterward notified health care providers throughout the country that DES should not be prescribed to pregnant women, and the specific long-term health risks of exposure.

Source
National Cancer Institute
Date
Undated; accessed 9 November 2026
Quoted from
Introductory paragraph ("In 1971, researchers linked prenatal DES exposure ... Soon after, ...")
Grade
Primary record
Document
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/des-fact-sheet
Accessed
2026-11-09
Cited by
Findings citing this exhibit

Cited by

Finding MED-11.7
Primary record Studies in the 1950s showed DES was not effective in preventing pregnancy complications. After the 1971 research linking prenatal DES exposure to cancer, the FDA notified health care providers that DES should not be prescribed to pregnant women.