NCT00340600

Brief Summary

Diethylstilbestrol (DES), a drug first synthesized in 1938, was administered to several million pregnant women in the U.S. and Europe for the prevention of spontaneous abortion and premature delivery. In 1971, Herbst reported a strong association between DES use in pregnancy and the occurrence of vaginal clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) in exposed female offspring. Animal models have demonstrated a range of DES effects on offspring exposed in utero, including reproductive dysfunction, immune system changes, behavioral and sexual abnormalities, and increases in various reproductive cancers in males and females. In the mid-1970's, several separate cohorts of DES-exposed daughters and unexposed comparison groups were followed for the occurrence of cancer, precursor lesions, and reproductive effects, but systematic follow-up of these cohorts had ceased by 1990. In 1992, Congress passed a bill (H;.R. 4178) mandating the continued follow-up of DES-exposed cohorts. The National Cancer Institute, in collaboration with five field centers, reassembled previously studied cohorts of DES-exposed and unexposed mothers, daughters and sons, and identified subjects with documented exposure status who had not been studied previously, through familial links within the cohorts. Standardized baseline questionnaires were mailed to cohort members to ascertain the risk of cancer and other disorders. Pathology reports were collected for reported cancers and preneoplastic conditions. Two separate rounds of follow up have been conducted and a third is almost complete. Patients from the Registry for Research on Hormonal Transplacental Carcinogenesis (the Registry) will be added to the follow-up effort in the third phase. The purpose of this study is to continue the follow-up, by means of mail questionnaires and medical record collection, which was begun during the first phase of the study. Concern has arisen that DES-exposed daughters may be at higher risk of breast cancer. Exposure to high levels of endogenous estrogen in utero has been hypothesized to increase the risk of breast cancer and DES is a potent estrogen. Cancer risk in the sons will also continue to be assessed, especially for increased risks of prostate cancer. Since the offspring who were exposed to DES in utero are currently reaching their late forties, when cancer rates begin to rise, it is important to continue the follow-up of these cohorts to determine if there are long-term increases in cancer risk.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
10,805

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for all trials

Timeline
Completed

Started Mar 1998

Longer than P75 for all trials

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

March 18, 1998

Completed
8.3 years until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

June 19, 2006

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

June 21, 2006

Completed
9.3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

September 30, 2015

Completed
5.1 years until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

November 13, 2020

Completed
Last Updated

November 16, 2020

Status Verified

November 1, 2020

Enrollment Period

17.5 years

First QC Date

June 19, 2006

Last Update Submit

November 13, 2020

Conditions

Keywords

CancerDESEndocrine Disrupting ChemicalsIn Utero

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Cancer

    primary outcome is cancer

    With Each Follow-up

Study Arms (2)

DES Exposed

DES-exposed mothers, daughters and sons, and identified subjects

DES Unexposed

DES-unexposed mothers, daughters and sons, and identified subjects

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 100 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
Sampling MethodNon-Probability Sample
Study Population

DES-exposed and unexposed mothers, daughters and sons, and identified subjects

You may qualify if:

  • Exposed daughters and unexposed daughters originally identified at: Baylor College of Medicine, University of Southern California (USC), Gunderson Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
  • Male and female offspring of mothers who were enrolled in a clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of DES at the University of Chicago.
  • Offspring of mothers who were treated with DES by an infertility specialist, Dr. Herbert Horne, in the Boston area.
  • Offspring of DES-exposed mothers and unexposed mothers who were followed for breast cancer risk during the 1980s.
  • Exposed sons and unexposed sons who were originally identified and followed at the Mayo Clinic during the late1970's for the occurrence of cancer, genital abnormalities and infertility.
  • Subjects from the Registry for Research on Hormonal Transplacental Carcinogenesis.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Boston University School of Public Health

Boston, Massachusetts, 02118-2354, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

  • Robboy SJ, Noller KL, O'Brien P, Kaufman RH, Townsend D, Barnes AB, Gundersen J, Lawrence WD, Bergstrahl E, McGorray S, et al. Increased incidence of cervical and vaginal dysplasia in 3,980 diethylstilbestrol-exposed young women. Experience of the National Collaborative Diethylstilbestrol Adenosis Project. JAMA. 1984 Dec 7;252(21):2979-83.

    PMID: 6502858BACKGROUND
  • Labarthe D, Adam E, Noller KL, O'Brien PC, Robboy SJ, Tilley BC, Townsend D, Barnes AB, Kaufman RH, Decker DG, Fish CR, Herbst AL, Gundersen J, Kurland LT. Design and preliminary observations of National Cooperative Diethylstilbestrol Adenosis (DESAD) Project. Obstet Gynecol. 1978 Apr;51(4):453-8. doi: 10.1097/00006250-197804000-00014.

    PMID: 662228BACKGROUND
  • Herbst AL, Ulfelder H, Poskanzer DC. Adenocarcinoma of the vagina. Association of maternal stilbestrol therapy with tumor appearance in young women. N Engl J Med. 1971 Apr 22;284(15):878-81. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197104222841604. No abstract available.

    PMID: 5549830BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Breast NeoplasmsAutoimmune DiseasesProstatic NeoplasmsOvarian NeoplasmsEndometrial NeoplasmsNeoplasms

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neoplasms by SiteBreast DiseasesSkin DiseasesSkin and Connective Tissue DiseasesImmune System DiseasesGenital Neoplasms, MaleUrogenital NeoplasmsGenital Diseases, MaleGenital DiseasesUrogenital DiseasesProstatic DiseasesMale Urogenital DiseasesEndocrine Gland NeoplasmsOvarian DiseasesAdnexal DiseasesGenital Diseases, FemaleFemale Urogenital DiseasesFemale Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy ComplicationsGenital Neoplasms, FemaleEndocrine System DiseasesGonadal DisordersUterine NeoplasmsUterine Diseases

Study Officials

  • Rebecca Troisi, D.Sc.

    National Cancer Institute (NCI)

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
observational
Observational Model
COHORT
Time Perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Sponsor Type
NIH
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

June 19, 2006

First Posted

June 21, 2006

Study Start

March 18, 1998

Primary Completion

September 30, 2015

Study Completion

November 13, 2020

Last Updated

November 16, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-11

Locations