Mortality in Women given DiEthylStilbestrol during Pregnancy

DES Follow-up Study Summary

This analysis examined cause of death in women who were given Diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy. The mothers cohort has not been actively followed since 1994, so survival was assessed through a search of the National Death Index. The results suggested a modest increase in death from breast cancer in the DES exposed mothers, compared to the unexposed. We did not, however, see an excess of overall mortality in the DES-exposed mothers, or an excess of death from any specific cause other than breast cancer. In particular, DES was not associated with an increased mortality from gynecologic cancers.

2006 Study Abstract

Abstract:
We used Cox regression analyses to assess mortality outcomes in a combined cohort of 7675 women who received diethylstilbestrol (DES) through clinical trial participation or prenatal care. In the combined cohort,

• the RR for DES in relation to all-cause mortality was 1.06 (95% CI = 0.98-1.16), and 1.11 (95% CI = 1.02-1.21) after adjusting for covariates and omitting breast cancer deaths.
• The RR was 1.07 (95% CI = 0.94-1.23) for overall cancer mortality, and remained similar after adjusting for covariates and omitting breast cancer deaths.
• The RR was 1.27 (95% CI = 0.96-1.69) for DES and breast cancer, and 1.38 (95% CI=1.03-1.85) after covariate adjustment.
• The RR was 1.82 in trial participants and 1.12 in the prenatal care cohort, but the DES-cohort interaction was not significant (P = 0.15).
• Diethylstilbestrol did not increase mortality from gynaecologic cancers.
• In summary, diethylstilbestrol was associated with a slight but significant increase in all-cause mortality, but was not significantly associated with overall cancer or gynaecological cancer mortality. The association with breast cancer mortality was more evident in trial participants, who received high DES doses.

Sources

• Mortality in women given diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy,NCBI, PMID: 16786044, 2006 Jul 3;95(1):107-11. Epub 2006 Jun 20. Full text Br J Cancer. Jul 3, 2006; 95(1): 107–111. PMCID: PMC2360488 link.
• NCI, DES Follow-up Study Published Papers.

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