Taking common contraceptive pill long-term could increase your risk of life-threatening brain tumour, scientists warn
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BITTER PILL Taking common contraceptive pill long-term could increase your risk of life-threatening brain tumour, scientists warn
TAKING a progesterone-only contraceptive pill for more than five years is linked to an increased risk of a life-threatening brain tumour, say scientists.
Desogestrel is a synthetic progestogen hormone used in oral contraceptives, specifically the progestogen-only pill (POP) or mini-pill.
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Long-term use of desogestrel has been linked to intracranial meningiomas
Credit: Science Photo Library - Getty
While it offers several benefits beyond preventing pregnancy, such as regulating the menstrual cycle, reducing heavy or painful periods, new research suggests taking it continuously for more than five years is linked to a small increased risk of developing an intracranial meningioma.
An intracranial meningioma is a tumour that develops from the meninges, the layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord.
These tumours are typically benign (non-cancerous) and slow-growing.
But they can be life-threatening depending on size, location, and growth rate.
The tumours are more common in older women, but previous studies lack information on the specific type of progestogen used - and risk has not been measured for continuous, current, and long term use.
In the study from France published by The BMJ, researchers set out to assess the real-life risk of the brain tumour and short-term (less than a year) and prolonged (one to seven or more years) use of oral contraceptives containing desogestrel 75µg, levonorgestrel 30µg, or levonorgestrel 50-150 µg combined with oestrogen.
Their findings were based on data from the French national health data system (SNDS) for 8,391 women who had undergone surgery for intracranial meningioma in 2020-2023.
Each case was matched to 10 control women without meningioma of the same age and area of residence.
The results showed a small increased risk associated with use of desogestrel for more than five continuous years.
An increased risk wasn't found for shorter durations or when desogestrel had been discontinued for more than one year.
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The risk was greater in women older than 45 and after prolonged use of one of the known high risk progestogens before desogestrel.
Although the researchers added the risk disappeared one year after stopping taking the pill.
It was estimated that 67,000 women would need to use desogestrel for one woman to need surgery for intracranial meningioma, and 17,000 women if current use was for more than five years.
No increased risk was found for levonorgestrel, alone or combined with oestrogen, regardless of duration of use.
The researchers suggested desogestrel be discontinued if an intracranial meningioma is identified and patients monitored rather than undergoing immediate surgery.
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