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Show Cancer Answer Line Q. "One of my friends says that she is a 'DES' daughter and might get cancer, ts this true? What does 'DES' mean?" A. There is a possibility, -but only a very remote one, that your friend will develop cancer. Since she knows that she is a DES daughter, she is probably under medical care which is extremely important. impor-tant. DES STANDS for diethyls-tilbestrol, diethyls-tilbestrol, a synthetic hor- --mone --mone which your friend's mother took during her pregnancy preg-nancy because of medical complications. While this drug was widely . used, beginning for use during dur-ing pregnancy by the Federal Food and Drug Administration Administra-tion in 1971 because a small number of daughters of women who took DES developed a rare form of vaginal cancer. THERE HAVE been many publicity campaigns to alert women and daughters to this information. Since women may not . remember the drug they took many years ago, any woman who used medication during her pregnancy should discuss this matter with a physician. |