Long-Term Contraceptive Pill Use Linked With Brain Tumor Risk

The contraceptive tablet desogestrel has been connected to a small building up within the chance of growing an intracranial meningioma mind tumor in new analysis – despite the fact that the chance is rather low, and most effective seems with long-term desogestrel use.

These tumors are generally non-cancerous, however may end up in neurological issues, and infrequently require surgical procedure. Meningioma has prior to now been connected to artificial progestogen medication, like desogestrel, that are designed to imitate the herbal hormone progesterone this is vital within the menstrual cycle and being pregnant.

The researchers, led via a staff from the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety, sought after to construct on the ones previous research to test the chance for desogestrel.

The find out about estimated that amongst girls the usage of desogestrel regularly for greater than 5 years, 1 in 17,331 would broaden a tumor that calls for surgical procedure. Under 5 years, the chance is 1 in 67,300.

That’s rather small, and the way in which the find out about is structured approach it does not display direct motive and impact. However, the find out about staff is recommending warning with prolonged use of this contraceptive tablet, and common trying out for any mind problems.

“Monitoring for meningioma should focus on women who have used desogestrel 75 micrograms for more than five continuous years, in whom we found a small risk of meningioma,” write the researchers of their printed paper.

“As with the other progestogens, risk increased with duration of use and after use of a progestogen of known associated increased risk.”

The findings are in line with data of 92,301 girls, with a median age of 59.7 years. Each of the 8,391 girls in that team who had passed through surgical procedure for a meningioma had been in comparison to 10 girls with out tumors, matched via age and site.

As neatly as noting the small chance building up, the researchers additionally noticed that the affiliation disappeared after a yr with out taking desogestrel. That’s excellent information, and might assist with long term remedies.

“Although direct evidence is still lacking, stopping treatment when desogestrel-related meningioma is diagnosed may preclude the need for surgery as regression of meningioma can be expected in line with cessation of any other progestogen-induced meningioma,” neurosurgeon Gilles Reuter from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège in Belgium, who wasn’t concerned within the find out about, writes in an accompanying editorial.

In the similar research the researchers additionally checked out levonorgestrel, any other artificial progestogen, however on this case the information confirmed no larger chance – even if it used to be used for greater than 5 years.

That approach taking levonorgestrel is also a better choice for older girls than probably the most different contraceptive drugs prior to now connected to meningioma chance – despite the fact that as all the time, it is important that any choices about medication and remedy are made in session with well being pros.

“Generally speaking, I do not believe this study should raise cause for alarm but merely drive discussion by women with their doctor around what is the best contraceptive option for them,” says obstetrician and gynecologist Gino Pecoraro, from the University of Queensland in Australia, who wasn’t concerned within the find out about.

The analysis has been printed in The BMJ.