Diethylstilbestrol (DES)

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a synthetic estrogen hormone that was widely used from the 1940s to 1970s to prevent miscarriages and premature deliveries in pregnant women. It was also used to treat symptoms of menopause and certain types of cancer.

However, it was discovered that DES has serious health risks and was linked to a range of health problems, including cancer, infertility, and birth defects. The use of DES during pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of vaginal and cervical cancer in female offspring. The daughters of women who took DES during pregnancy may also have an increased risk of infertility, pregnancy complications, and other reproductive disorders.

In males, exposure to DES in utero has been linked to an increased risk of testicular cancer and other reproductive disorders. DES was banned in the United States in 1971, and many other countries have also banned its use. However, because of its widespread use in the past, there are still many individuals who were exposed to DES and may be at risk for health problems. DES was first synthesized in early 1938 by Leon Golberg, then a graduate student of Sir Robert Robinson at the Dyson Perrins Laboratory at the University of Oxford.

Golberg’s research was based on work by Wilfrid Lawson at the Courtauld Institute of Biochemistry, (led by Sir Edward Charles Dodds at Middlesex Hospital Medical School now part of University College London).

A report of its synthesis was published in Nature on February 5, 1938. The researchers were attempting to develop a synthetic form of estrogen for use in the treatment of menopausal symptoms and other hormonal disorders.

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) has also been used in veterinary medicine for a variety of purposes, including the treatment of certain hormonal disorders in dogs and cats, and as an aid in the treatment of some forms of cancer in dogs. However, its use in veterinary medicine has been controversial, and the risks associated with its use have been a subject of debate.

In dogs, DES has been used to treat urinary incontinence, particularly in spayed female dogs. It has also been used to treat certain types of cancer, including lymphoma and osteosarcoma. In cats, DES has been used to treat hormonal disorders such as diabetes mellitus and hyperthyroidism. Diethylstilbestrol binds to the estrogen receptors in the tissues of the body, including the reproductive tract and urinary tract (bladder).

DES has been very successful in treating female canine incontinence stemming from poor sphincter control. It is still available from compounding pharmacies, and at the low (1 mg) dose, does not have the carcinogenic properties that were so problematic in humans. It is generally administered once a day for seven to ten days and then once every week as needed.