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New York DES Lawyer

What is DES?

Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a synthetic hormone developed to supplement a woman's natural estrogen production. The defective drug was intended to help prevent pregnant women from experiencing miscarriages, pre-term births, and other pregnancy problems which was theorized to be caused by a lack of naturally produced estrogen in the body. Despite a lack of long-term studies of its effects, the drug was manufactured and prescribed to women during 1938-1971. As a result, an estimated 5-10 million pregnant women and the children born of these pregnancies were exposed to DES. Have you and your child been exposed to DES? A New York lawyer at Finz & Finz, P.C. can help you seek justice. Contact a New York DES Lawyer today!

Leader in DES Litigation

Dangers of DES

In 1953, a medical research study revealed that DES did not prevent miscarriages or premature births. However, doctors continued to prescribe the defective drug to pregnant patients until 1971. In 1971, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning advising doctors to discontinue prescribing DES to pregnant women based on a study published that year. The study exposed DES as a cause of a rare vaginal cancer called adenocarcinoma in girls and young women who had been exposed to DES before birth. On November 10, 1971, the FDA also ordered that the prevention of miscarriage be removed from Indications and pregnancy be added to Contraindications in the physician prescribing information for DES.

Potential Health Risks Associated with DES

Since the FDA issued its warning concerning the use of DES on pregnant women, more recent research has confirmed that DES is the cause of a number of health risks including cancer and malformations of an embryo or fetus. Both pregnant women and their offspring who were exposed to DES are at risk:

• Women Taking DES while Pregnant
  Women prescribed DES while pregnant are at a modestly increased risk for breast cancer. Taking DES while pregnant exposes children in the womb to future health risks associated with the drug.
  
• Female Offspring of Pregnant Women Who Were Prescribed DES
  Women exposed to DES before birth (in the womb), also frequently referred to as DES Daughters, are at an increased risk for clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA) of the vagina and cervix, reproductive tract structural differences, pregnancy complications, infertility, and auto-immune disorders. Research reported by the Netherlands DES Information Center stated that DES Daughters who were registered with the center demonstrated three times the incidence of cervical cancer as did unexposed women. Research also shows DES Daughters as having a 2.5 fold increase in breast cancer after age 40. Although DES Daughters appear to be at highest risk for clear cell cancer in their teens and early 20s, cases have been reported in DES Daughters in their 30s and 40s.
  
• Male Offspring of Pregnant Women Who Were Prescribed DES
  Men exposed to DES before birth (in the womb), also frequently referred to as DES Sons, are at an increased risk for non-cancerous epididymal cysts and auto-immune disorders. Diethylstilbestrol can also cause feminization of the male foetus, as DES undergoes metabolic epoxidation, and the epoxide product has affinity towards the estrogen receptors.
  
• Third Generation (Children of Male and Female Offspring Who Were Exposed to DES)
  Third generation injuries are associated with preterm labor or deliveries resulting in premature birth and cerebral palsy, blindness or other neurological deficits or death of a child.

Who is at Risk of DES Exposure?

Though efforts were made during the 1970s to contact women who were prescribed DES to notify them of the possible health risks associated with the defective drug, many persons exposed to DES were not located.

Unfortunately, there is no known medical test (such as blood, urine or skin analysis) to detect DES exposure. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention provides an Interactive DES Self-Assessment Guide on their website in order to help people determine if they were exposed to DES. General guidelines of who may have been exposed to DES include:

• Women who were pregnant in the years 1938 through 1971
• Women who were born during 1938-1971
• Men who were born during 1938-1971

Legal Help for DES Victims

To further understand your rights, consult with an New York lawyer who is knowledgeable regarding the dangerous side effects of DES. The Finz firm obtained the first verdict against Eli Lilly, the largest manufacture of the drug DES, and has recovered millions of dollars for DES victims.

If you or a family member have suffered a serious illness, injury, or medical condition due to the use of or exposure to DES in New York, please contact a New York DES Lawyer of Finz & Finz, P.C. today at (888) FINZ-FIRM to speak with an experienced DES lawyer now or fill out the Free Case Evaluation form on the right of this page.

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