Graphic of a timeline titled “DES Timeline” with the following dates highlighted:
1938: Diethylstilbestrol (DES), first produced for use in pregnancy.
1940: DES widely prescribed to women for use in threatened miscarriages and promoted to physicians. Subsequently prescribed for prophylactic use in normal pregnancies.
1950-1953: Four clinical trials found DES not effective, but prescriptions and promotions continued.
1971: DES was linked to vaginal adenocarcinoma in young DES daughters; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of DES in pregnancy.
1974: The Diethylstilbestrol Adenosis Project began to locate and follow DES offspring.
1992: Various cohorts of exposed and unexposed mothers and offspring were combined into one "DES Follow-up Study" by the NCI.
2000: NCI assembled a 3rd generation cohort of the daughters of daughters exposed in utero to DES.
2011: In utero exposure of women to DES found to be associated with a high lifetime risk of a broad spectrum of adverse health outcomes.
Current: The DES Follow-up Study is continuing to follow the cohorts for adverse health outcomes such as cancer.