A 2024 study found that there was a potential link between the use of the contraceptive injection Depo-Provera and a higher risk for brain tumors. Now, new research shows that the connection between Depo-Provera and meningioma brain tumor development may be even more alarming than previously discovered.
According to research presented in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2024, the use of Depo-Provera increased the risk of intracranial meningioma 5.6-fold if used for more than a year.
The study’s research team, led by a general practitioner and epidemiologist with French National Health Insurance in Saint-Denis, France, revealed, “In countries for which the use of medroxyprogesterone acetate for birth control is frequent [74 million users worldwide], the number of attributable meningiomas may be potentially high.”
That study involved 108,366 women, with 18,061 women who had undergone surgery for meningioma. Specifically, long-term use of progestogens such as medrogestone, medroxyprogesterone acetate, and promegestone was linked to a higher risk of developing meningiomas.
Now, in a study entitled, “Use of Medroxyprogesterone Acetate and Risk of Meningiomas: A Comparative Safety Study,” Dr. Mahyar Etminan and a team of researchers looked at brain tumor rates between Depo-Provera shot users and those who chose birth control pills, a more traditional form of contraception. According to their research, women who received the Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, Depo-Provera) shot for at least a year faced 3.55 times the risk of developing a meningioma when compared to those taking oral contraceptives.
“The results of our study suggest an increase in the risk of meningiomas when compared to the more commonly prescribed oral contraceptives containing EE-LNG,” the study noted, with EE-LNG meaning ethinylestradiol-levonorgestrel.
“This means that for every 1,111 women on MPA (for three years), one would experience a meningioma,” researchers added.
“Our study adds to the existing body of evidence that MPA can increase the risk of meningioma,” Etminan’s team continued. “We believe the results of this study further warrants the need to alert women about this serious, albeit rare adverse event.”
It should be noted that the study’s findings haven’t been peer-reviewed or published in a medical or scientific journal, unlike the study presented in the British Medical Journal. However, the preliminary findings are concerning, and suggest that a link between Depo-Provera and meningioma brain tumor development may continue to be explored and reinforced as researchers continue to look into the issue.
If you or someone you know suffered a brain tumor after being on Depo-Provera, you may be entitled to pursue legal action. The team at Phillips Law Group can help you determine your options in a free, no-obligation, confidential consultation.
Please contact us at 602-222-2222 to learn more now.
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