The mere mention of a brain tumor often triggers a fear that it might be cancer. While numerous studies have clarified that a tumor is not always cancerous, a tumor remains a serious condition in itself and can lead to various complications.

Statistics indicate that the risk of brain tumors in India has risen sharply in recent decades. Approximately 40,000 new cases are reported annually, resulting in around 25,000 deaths. It ranks as the 14th most common cancer in the country and the 11th leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

Medical reports suggest that, alongside genetic factors, issues such as an unhealthy lifestyle, stress, sleep deprivation, and increasing environmental factors have heightened the risk of brain tumors even among younger people. In this context, a recent study has raised an alert regarding brain tumor cases linked to certain habits among women.

The study found that women who use contraceptive pills, injections, or hormonal contraceptives for extended periods may face a higher risk of developing brain tumors. Could you be making this mistake too?

**Use of Contraceptive Pills Can Be Risky**

Millions of women worldwide take contraceptive pills to prevent pregnancy. These have long been considered a safe and effective option. However, could their long-term use—without medical advice—lead to serious trouble for you?

A study analyzing the medical records of 3 million women in Denmark over 25 years has provided scientists with findings that doctors and health experts across the globe are now seriously discussing.

The study revealed that women using certain hormone-based contraceptives and injections showed a higher risk of developing a type of brain tumor known as meningioma compared to other women. In most cases, this tumor is not cancerous; however, if left undetected, it can certainly lead to serious risks.

What did the study reveal?

A meningioma is a tumor that develops not inside the brain itself, but in the membranes (meninges) covering the brain and spinal cord. As it grows, it exerts pressure on surrounding areas. This can cause issues such as persistent headaches, seizures (epileptic-like fits), and vision loss. Surgery or radiotherapy is often required.

Scientists studied this link over a period of 25 years. They compared 1,473 women with the condition against 14,717 women who did not have a brain tumor.
The research found the highest risk associated with a contraceptive injection called medroxyprogesterone. In the UK, it is sold under the brand name Depo-Provera.
Women using this injection were found to have a 355% higher risk of developing a meningioma.

Researchers also found that the risk increases with age. Among women aged 55 to 59, it was estimated that for every 5,372 women using the injection for one year, one additional case of meningioma could occur.

In contrast, the risk was much lower for those aged 15 to 19, with an estimated one additional case occurring for every 449,000 women.

These pills were found to be the most dangerous.

The study, published in the *JAMA Network* journal, also found an increased risk associated with certain combination contraceptive pills (which contain both estrogen and progestogen hormones).
The highest risk was observed with drugs containing desogestrel, where the risk was 66% higher. This was followed by drugs containing cyproterone (61%), drospirenone (58%), gestodene (44%), levonorgestrel (40%), norethisterone (38%), and norgestimate (4%).

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