Study Uncovers Links Between Drugs Like Depo-Provera and Brain Tumors
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A new study published in the BMJ has uncovered a possible link between drugs like Depo-Provera and the development of brain tumors.
The French study, which analyzed thousands of real-life cases of patients who had surgeries for brain tumors, found that prolonged use of medroxyprogesterone acetate – which is more well-known by its brand name of Depo-Provera – and other progestogens can result in an increased risk of developing intracranial meningioma.
According to the Guardian, Depo-Provera manufacturer Pfizer is collaborating with regulatory agencies to update product labels and patient information leaflets.
Currently, lawyers are accepting cases from people who repeatedly used Depo-Provera and subsequently developed meningioma.
Who is at Risk from Depo-Provera’s Possible Link to Brain Tumors?
According to the study, those who used Depo-Provera for a prolonged time, defined as two years or longer, are at a higher risk of developing intracranial meningioma.
The researchers analyzed the impact of medroxyprogesterone acetate and several other progestogens by evaluating over 18,000 cases of women who had surgery to treat meningioma between 2009 and 2018. The researchers then compared those cases to over 90,000 control cases.
The results showed a possible “excess risk” of meningioma development from prolonged usage of the drug.
Patients usually undergo Depo-Provera shots every three months, but the drug is not designed for indefinite use. The FDA includes information in the product’s warning label stating that patients generally should not use the drug as a method of birth control for more than two years.
Meningiomas are among the most common types of brain tumors and are often benign, but they can still pose serious health risks.
These tumors can crowd structures in the skull, such as the brain, according to Johns Hopkins. Even when they are benign, meningiomas may require surgery to remove since they can continue to grow and present problems when left unchecked.
Depo-Provera Previously Tied to Bone Density Loss
While Depo-Provera’s links to meningiomas are newly discovered, the drug has been tied to other health concerns in the past.
After the FDA approved the drug in 1992, they later mandated a boxed warning in 2004 to highlight the risks of osteoporosis. The FDA label for the product notes that users run the risk of losing significant bone mineral density. This risk increases the longer the patient uses the drug.
The FDA warns that patients should not use Depo-Provera as a long-term birth control method. Both osteoporosis and fractures are concerns for later in life.
According to Mayo Clinic, health providers may discourage people from using Depo-Provera if they have existing conditions like breast cancer and liver disease or if they are already at risk for osteoporosis.
Editor Lindsay Donaldson contributed to this article.