What is my risk for cancer as a DES Daughter?
All DES Daughters (women whose mothers took DES while pregnant with them) have a lifelong risk for a rare cancer of the vagina or cervix called clear cell adenocarcinoma. This cancer is practically nonexistent in non-exposed women in this age group, and occurs in about 1 in 1,000 DES Daughters. DES Daughters should have an annual special pelvic exam to detect this cancer. DES Action’s website at www.desaction.org and the CDC’s DES Update website at www.cdc.gov/DES have information about the exam for both patients and their doctors. New research indicates that DES Daughters also run an increased risk for breast cancer, so DES Action urges annual mammograms and clinical breast exams, as well as monthly breast self-exams.
