About 1.6 million women in France who have taken a desogestrel-based contraceptive pill will receive a personal letter warning them of an increased risk of developing a meningioma, the national medicines agency ANSM announced on Thursday. The agency described the risk as "low."
The affected pills include Antigone, Cerazette, Elfasette and Optimizette. Women who experience persistent headaches, visual disturbances, muscle weakness, problems with balance or speech, memory loss, or new or worsening epilepsy should see their doctor, according to the ANSM letter, which states that a brain scan (MRI) may then be carried out.
What Is a Meningioma
A meningioma is a tumour that develops from the meninges, the membranes surrounding the brain. It can cause serious after-effects including blurred vision, hearing loss, loss of smell, headaches, memory loss and epileptic seizures, which is why the symptoms listed by the ANSM are being flagged to patients.
The agency noted that the risk to these women is much lower than that associated with progestogens such as Androcur, Luteran, Lutenyl, Colprone and Depo-Provera, for which brain imaging monitoring is systematically recommended.
Scale of the Risk
According to a 2024 study by the scientific interest group Epi-Phare, one in 67,000 women who took desogestrel develops a meningioma linked to the contraceptive, rising to one in 17,000 after five years of treatment.
Dr Isabelle Yoldjian, medical director of the health authority, told a press briefing that the risk was low, and not comparable to that of Androcur, where it multiplied by 20 after five years.
The increased risk, compared with women who have not taken the pill, doubles after seven years of use but disappears one year after stopping the contraceptive. It particularly concerns women over 45 and those who previously took a progestogen considered at risk for more than a year.
Doctors Also Being Notified
Some 90,000 doctors who have prescribed desogestrel-only contraception at a dosage of 75 micrograms will also receive a letter from the agency.
The ANSM advised against stopping contraception without medical advice, to avoid the risk of unwanted pregnancy, but recommended raising the issue with a doctor, gynaecologist or midwife at the next routine appointment.
What Happens Next
The European Medicines Agency (EMA), acting on a request from the French agency, decided this summer that the risk will be added to the product information leaflets for these contraceptives. The ANSM has also published a set of frequently asked questions on its website, ansm.sante.fr, and reiterated that any contraception should be reassessed each year with a doctor or midwife, according to the patient's needs and health status.
