Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Cancer risk in men exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Strohsnitter, WC; Noller, KL; Hoover, RN; Robboy, SJ; Palmer, JR; Titus-Ernstoff, L; Kaufman, RH; Adam, E; Herbst, AL; Hatch, EE
Published in: J Natl Cancer Inst
April 4, 2001

BACKGROUND: An association between prenatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure and cancer in men, especially testicular cancer, has been suspected, but findings from case-control studies have been inconsistent. This study was conducted to investigate the association between prenatal DES exposure and cancer risk in men via prospective follow-up. METHODS: A total of 3613 men whose prenatal DES exposure status was known were followed from 1978 through 1994. The overall and site-specific cancer incidence rates among the DES-exposed men were compared with those of the unexposed men in the study and with population-based rates. The relative rate (RR) was used to assess the strength of the association between prenatal DES exposure and cancer development. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Overall cancer rates among DES-exposed men were similar to those among unexposed men (RR = 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.58 to 1.96) and to national rates (RR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.65 to 1.44). Testicular cancer may be elevated among DES-exposed men, since the RRs for testicular cancer were 3.05 (95% CI = 0.65 to 22.0) times those of unexposed men in the study and 2.04 (95% CI = 0.82 to 4.20) times those of males in the population-based rates. The higher rate of testicular cancer in the DES-exposed men is, however, also compatible with a chance observation. CONCLUSIONS: To date, men exposed to DES in utero do not appear to have an increased risk of most cancers. It remains uncertain, however, whether prenatal DES exposure is associated with testicular cancer.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

J Natl Cancer Inst

DOI

ISSN

0027-8874

Publication Date

April 4, 2001

Volume

93

Issue

7

Start / End Page

545 / 551

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Testicular Neoplasms
  • Sex Factors
  • Risk Factors
  • Risk
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neoplasms
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Strohsnitter, W. C., Noller, K. L., Hoover, R. N., Robboy, S. J., Palmer, J. R., Titus-Ernstoff, L., … Hatch, E. E. (2001). Cancer risk in men exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol. J Natl Cancer Inst, 93(7), 545–551. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/93.7.545
Strohsnitter, W. C., K. L. Noller, R. N. Hoover, S. J. Robboy, J. R. Palmer, L. Titus-Ernstoff, R. H. Kaufman, E. Adam, A. L. Herbst, and E. E. Hatch. “Cancer risk in men exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol.J Natl Cancer Inst 93, no. 7 (April 4, 2001): 545–51. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/93.7.545.
Strohsnitter WC, Noller KL, Hoover RN, Robboy SJ, Palmer JR, Titus-Ernstoff L, et al. Cancer risk in men exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2001 Apr 4;93(7):545–51.
Strohsnitter, W. C., et al. “Cancer risk in men exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol.J Natl Cancer Inst, vol. 93, no. 7, Apr. 2001, pp. 545–51. Pubmed, doi:10.1093/jnci/93.7.545.
Strohsnitter WC, Noller KL, Hoover RN, Robboy SJ, Palmer JR, Titus-Ernstoff L, Kaufman RH, Adam E, Herbst AL, Hatch EE. Cancer risk in men exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2001 Apr 4;93(7):545–551.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Natl Cancer Inst

DOI

ISSN

0027-8874

Publication Date

April 4, 2001

Volume

93

Issue

7

Start / End Page

545 / 551

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • United States
  • Testicular Neoplasms
  • Sex Factors
  • Risk Factors
  • Risk
  • Prospective Studies
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
  • Pregnancy
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Neoplasms