Palmer Study Linking DES and Breast Cancer

Palmer, et al. in their retrospective review, confirmed the prevailing hypothesis that increased levels of synthetic estrogen in the form of DES given to pregnant women correlated with the future development of breast cancer. These authors showed upon longer-term follow-up that DES is indeed associated with the development of breast cancer in women over the age of forty. The reason is that the breast cancer causing effects of DES simply required a longer period of time to be noticeable in the body. The authors obtained information from 4 large groups of women, 4,817 in all, whose mothers were exposed to DES and compared them to a control group of 2,073 women whose mothers were not given DES.

All other potentially confounding variables were controlled in the analysis of their data. Overall, there was a 40% increased risk of breast cancer in DES daughters, but the risk was over 90% higher in women over the age of 40. The risk was especially high, essentially double for DES daughters who were exposed after the 9th week in utero. In view of this finding, daughters of DES exposed women will require lifelong screening for breast cancer and should probably avoid hormone-based contraception.

Though significant, we feel that a continuation of the Palmer study is important. The women's health experts at Aaron Levine & Associates believe that this study allows for further research into the relationship between in utero DES exposure and breast cancer in DES daughters. We believe so strongly in this, that we are financing an investigation to pick up where the Palmer Study left off, in hopes of gaining a better understanding of the relationship between DES and breast cancer.

Read more about our continuation of the Palmer study and our ongoing research.

In evaluating and planning for the presentation of these cases, we must look at all these factors:

1. Dosage
2. Timing
3. Age at onset
4. Obesity
5. Ashkenazi Jewish
6. Radiation
7. BRCA
8. Family Risk Factors
9. HRTs
10. Radial Scars
11. Histopathology
12. Law of the State of Exposure
13. Law of the State of Diagnosis
14. Extent of Disease
15. Death
16. Grade
17. Size
18. Lymphatic Invasion
19. Lymph Nodes
20. ER/PR Results
21. Location
22. Treatment Regimens
23. T-Score
24. Stage (Tumor, Nodes, Metastasis)
25. Treatment
26. Proof of Exposure
27. Proof of Product Identification

**This website should be used as an educational tool only. If you suspect you have symptoms of breast cancer, please contact a licensed physician for diagnosis and treatment.**