- Contraceptive injection linked to over fivefold meningioma risk
- Long-term use of Depo Provera raises meningioma risk
- Pfizer revises product labels due to potential risk
New research indicates that women who utilise the contraceptive injection have an elevated likelihood of developing the most prevalent form of brain malignancy.
It was discovered that prolonged use of medroxyprogesterone acetate, marketed as Depo Provera, increased the risk of meningioma by more than fivefold.
Although the risks remained low, the results indicate that certain birth control medications may contribute to the development of meningiomas in some cases, according to experts.
According to NHS prescription data, approximately 10,000 prescriptions for medroxyprogesterone acetate are written in England each month.
On average, forty out of ten thousand thirty-year-old women in the United Kingdom are anticipated to receive a meningioma diagnosis prior to reaching the age of eighty.
The proportion increases to 200 per 10,000 individuals, according to research findings that were published in the British Medical Journal.
Tumours that originate in the meninges, a membrane that envelops the brain and spinal cord, are known as meningiomas.
It is typically noncancerous and grows slowly, but its location of origin can render it fatal in the long run.
Certain progestogens, which are synthetic versions of the natural hormone progesterone, have been linked to malignancies in previous studies; however, this is the first to examine the associations within the context of contraception.
The French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety investigated various progestogens utilised in contraceptives and HRT. Among these, Depo Provera stands out as the only variety utilised in the United Kingdom that carries a comparatively elevated risk.
From 2009 to 2018, they analysed data from the French national health system on 18,061 women who underwent meningioma surgery and had an average age of 58.
A total of 90,305 cases were matched with five control women who did not have meningioma based on their place of birth and place of domicile.
Extended use of the contraceptive injection, exceeding 12 months, was associated with a 5.6-fold increased risk of meningioma, according to the findings.
In nations with a high prevalence of medroxyprogesterone acetate use for contraception (74 million users globally), the incidence of meningiomas attributable to this substance may be relatively high, they concluded.
Observational studies indicate that the link has not yet been established, but scientists are increasingly concerned about the possibility of a danger.
Professor of cancer epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in the United States, Paul Pharoah, stated, “Given what we know about meningioma risk factors, the reported association for medroxyprogesterone acetate seems quite likely to be causal.”
Nevertheless, he continued, despite the fact that numerous progestogens are present in hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives, no correlation was discovered among the majority of these interventions.
“This means that women who are using hormone replacement therapy or commonly used birth control pills do not have an increased risk of developing meningioma,” he continued.
Women mustn’t discontinue the use of their contraceptives without first consulting their physician.
In the United Kingdom, meningiomas comprise approximately 25% of primary brain and spinal cord lesions in adults. They are more prevalent in females and influence individuals over the age of 35 on average.
The findings may also “open doors to research on preventative measures” and increase knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the development of these tumours, according to experts.
According to Brain Tumour Research’s director of research, policy, and innovation, Dr Karen Noble, the findings of this study indicate that while specific progestogen treatments were associated with an elevated risk of meningioma, the safety of other progestogen treatments that were found not to increase risk was also established.
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If you have any concerns, you should consult your general practitioner prior to discontinuing any prescribed medication.
Depo-Provera and Sayana Press are two medroxyprogesterone acetate injections produced by the pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer and distributed in the United Kingdom.
Pfizer issued the following statement: “Ensuring patient safety is our highest priority.”
In collaboration with the European Medicines Agency and national health authorities, we adhere to a stringent and ongoing monitoring process for all of our medications, which includes monitoring reported adverse events.
“We are currently revising product labels and patient information leaflets in collaboration with regulatory agencies to include more appropriate language in recognition of this potential risk associated with long-term progestogen use.”
