Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1971 Dec;47(6):1169-71.

Transplacental chemical carcinogenesis in man

  • PMID: 4330461

Transplacental chemical carcinogenesis in man

R W Miller. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1971 Dec.

Abstract

PIP: This editorial was prompted by the published association of maternal diethylstilbestrol (DES) ingestion during pregnancy and subsequent development of vaginal adenocarcinoma among female offspring, and explores various factors involved in transplacental chemical carcinogenesis in humans. Known prenatal determinants of carcinogenic transmission are 1) germ cells, 2) transplantation, and 3) ionizing radiation. Other chemicals besides DES which may be implicated in transplacental carcinogenesis are cytotoxic anticancer agents, such as therapy. The hypothesis of DES-associated maternal-fetal exchange was developed as a result of physician recognition of a cluster of cases with commonality; it is hoped that further epidemiological studies, more systemitized, will lead to hypotheses regarding the epidemiology of other in utero carcinogenesis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

MeSH terms