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Arthur Herbst
Gynecologic Oncologist and Researcher
Physician who discovered the link between DES exposure and clear cell adenocarcinoma in daughters of women who took the drug during pregnancy
Overview
Arthur L. Herbst (1926-2020) was an American gynecologic oncologist at the University of Chicago who, in 1971, published the landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine establishing the causal link between maternal diethylstilbestrol (DES) use during pregnancy and the development of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix in their daughters. This discovery was groundbreaking because it demonstrated that in utero drug exposure could cause cancer decades later, fundamentally changing the understanding of pharmaceutical teratogenicity. Herbst subsequently established the DES Registry, a comprehensive database tracking health outcomes of DES-exposed individuals across generations. His research ultimately contributed to the FDA ban on DES use in pregnancy in 1971 and shaped modern pharmaceutical regulation regarding drugs administered to pregnant women. The DES disaster, documented through Herbst and his colleagues research, exposed that pharmaceutical companies had continued marketing DES for pregnancy despite evidence of its ineffectiveness dating back to 1953.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
His 1971 NEJM paper linked DES to vaginal cancer in daughters, leading to the FDA ban and revealing decades of pharmaceutical negligence
Established the DES Registry tracking thousands of affected individuals, documenting multi-generational harm
Research revealed pharmaceutical companies had ignored a 1953 study proving DES was ineffective for preventing miscarriage
Related Investigations (1)
Known Associates & Connections
Robert Scully
Pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who co-authored the landmark 1971 DES-cancer study
Howard Ulfelder
Gynecologic oncologist and co-author of the original DES study who collaborated on the early case identifications
Sources & Documentation
2 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
New England Journal of Medicine: Herbst et al. - Adenocarcinoma of the Vagina(1971-04-22)
University of Chicago Medicine: Arthur L. Herbst Memorial(2021)
Personal Information
- Born
- 1926-04-14
- Birthplace
- New York City, New York
Education
- •Harvard Medical School (M.D., 1951)
- •Massachusetts General Hospital (Residency)
Key Timeline
1951
Graduates from Harvard Medical School
1971-04-22
Publishes "Adenocarcinoma of the Vagina: Association of Maternal Stilbestrol Therapy with Tumor Appearance in Young Women" in the New England Journal of Medicine
1971
FDA issues drug bulletin advising against DES use in pregnancy based on Herbst research
1975
Appointed Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Chicago; expands DES research
1978
Establishes the national DES Registry to track health outcomes across generations of exposed individuals
2020-12-01
Dies at age 94; his research had documented the health effects of DES exposure in over 5 million people