Estrone was first isolated in 1929 by American biochemist Edward Adelbert Doisy, who later isolated estriol (1930) and estradiol (1935) as well. These notable achievements were an important step towards the development of oral contraceptives, which are largely composed of estrogens. The reason that these hormones are effective for such an application is that they inhibit the pituitary gland’s secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone and can, consequently, suppress ovulation. Synthetic estrogen is also commonly prescribed to menopausal women in order to lessen undesirable physical effects, such as hot flashes, caused by the body’s hormonal changes and is sometimes used as a treatment for prostate cancer.