Reports of a brain tumor in users of some hormone pills
Original title: Assessing the Safety of Estro-Progestin and Progestin-only drugs: A Signal Detection Study of Meningioma Reports in EudraVigilance.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This looked at side effect reports from people, not a test of a treatment.
The short version
Two hormone pills showed more reports than expected of a brain tumor called meningioma.
What was studied. Researchers searched a large European database of reported drug side effects. They checked five hormone drugs used for birth control and other needs, over ten years from 2016 to 2025.
What they found. In all, the team found 21,091 reports. Desogestrel-only pills had 110 meningioma reports, more than expected. Drospirenone-only pills had 8 reports, while the combined pills and levonorgestrel showed no such pattern.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If you take one of these pills, you can ask your doctor about it. Meningioma is a tumor seen more often in women. Your doctor can weigh the good and the bad of your pill with you. Do not stop a medicine on your own.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean these pills cause brain tumors. It is an early warning sign from side effect reports, not proof. The study could not count how many people took each drug. It also cannot say one pill is safer than another. A pill with no reports is not proven safe. This is not a treatment finding, so it is not a cure or a promise of one.
Source: PubMed, October 24, 2026 · Read the original
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