Prenatal stilbestrol experience of mothers of young cancer patients

Abstract

Prenatal histories, including drug use, were obtained for the mothers of 48 young females and males reported to the New York State Cancer Registry with tumors of the breast and urogenital organs (excluding vaginal adenocarcinomas previously reported in the literature). Stilbestrol was taken during pregnancy by the mother of only one patient, an 18-year-old girl, with an adenocarcinoma involving both the cervix and vagina. Time trends in incidence for the 0 to 24 year age group, born at a time when stilbestrol might have been used in pregnancy, were compared to the unexposed 25 to 34 year age group. There were no increases that could be attributed to stilbestrol use. There is thus far no indication that maternal use of stilbestrol contributes to the development of tumors other than those of the lower female genital tract.