Their mother, Hilda Manson, from Leeds, was given 'miracle drug' DES in the US and then in the UK after she suffered several miscarriages. She developed breast cancer in her 70s, and died from Alzheimer's aged 86. The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology estimates 10,000 patients were given DES during pregnancy, but because there are no records, the true scale of the tragedy is unknown. Women who took the drug – 'DES mothers' – are thought to be 30 per cent more at risk of developing breast cancer. Women took this in good faith, yet may have caused lasting harm to their children and grandchildren.

Source: The Nation January 03, 2022 06:01 UTC