Key Points

• Craniotomy and stereotactic radiosurgery, including CyberKnife and Gamma Knife, are both standard treatments for meningioma brain tumors. 
• Lawsuit eligibility depends on documented Depo-Provera use and a confirmed cranial meningioma diagnosis, not on which treatment a woman received. 
• Treatment history can still affect the value of a claim, because surgery, radiation, complications, and long-term monitoring are all compensable forms of harm. 

Why It Matters

Women diagnosed with a meningioma after using the Depo-Provera birth control shot are often told they have a choice to make: open brain surgery to remove the tumor, or focused radiation to stop it from growing. Both paths carry risk, cost, and lasting consequences. Many women assume that only those who underwent a craniotomy have a real case, and that a radiosurgery patient or a woman under observation does not. That assumption is wrong, and it keeps eligible women from ever contacting a lawyer. 
 

Depo Brain Tumor Surgery and Your Legal Claim

Women who have undergone CyberKnife or Gamma Knife surgery to treat meningioma brain tumors after using the Depo-Provera birth control shot may be eligible to file a legal claim and receive compensation. 

Lawsuits filed against Pfizer, the makers of Depo-Provera, allege that the company failed to warn women and their doctors that prolonged use of medroxyprogesterone acetate (the active ingredient in the Depo shot) has been linked to an increased risk of these tumors. Surgeries or other treatments that a woman needed afterward is part of the harm she suffered, not a test of whether she is allowed to file a claim. 

If you or a loved one used Depo-Provera and were diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor, the birth control attorneys at Hissey Mulderig & Friend can help. Find out whether you qualify to take legal action or start your Depo-Provera claim today by calling our office toll-free at 1-866-806-8117. 

What a Craniotomy for Meningioma Involves

A craniotomy is open brain surgery. The neurosurgeon removes a section of the skull to reach the tumor, separates it from the surrounding tissue and blood supply, removes as much of it as can be taken safely, and then replaces the bone using plates and screws. 

Surgeons describe the degree to which a meningioma tumor was removed from the body using the Simpson grading scale, which ranges from complete removal of the tumor along with its dural attachment down to partial removal or biopsy alone. The extent of removal matters medically because tumor left behind carries a higher risk of regrowth over time. 

Recovery from a craniotomy typically includes a hospital stay, a period of restricted activity, and follow-up imaging. Some women recover quickly after surgery; others live with lingering side effects, including persistent headaches, fatigue, seizures, memory and concentration problems, vision changes, weakness, or changes in mood and personality.  

When a tumor sits near critical structures, as described in our guide to sphenoid wing and parasagittal meningioma, the surgical risk rises accordingly. 

What CyberKnife and Stereotactic Radiosurgery Involve

Despite the name, CyberKnife is not a surgical instrument. It is a robotic system that delivers precisely targeted beams of radiation to a tumor from many angles, concentrating the dose on the meningioma while limiting exposure to healthy brain tissue. Gamma Knife works on the same principle using a different technology. Both fall under the broader category of stereotactic radiosurgery. 

Radiosurgery involves no incision and no skull opening. Treatment is delivered in a single session or across a small number of sessions, and most patients go home the same day. The goal is usually tumor control rather than removal, meaning the tumor stops growing or shrinks but does not disappear. 

Radiosurgery carries its own potential risks and complications. These can include fatigue, swelling of the brain tissue around the treated area, headaches, radiation injury to nearby nerves, hormonal changes when the tumor sits near the pituitary gland, and the need for imaging surveillance for years afterward to confirm the tumor remains stable. 

How Doctors Decide Between the Two Approaches

Neurosurgeons weigh several factors when recommending treatment, including the size of the tumor, its exact location, whether it is pressing on the brain or the optic nerves, how quickly it is growing, the severity of symptoms, and the patient’s age and overall health. 

Larger tumors and tumors causing significant pressure are more likely to be treated surgically. Small tumors, tumors in locations that are difficult or dangerous to reach, and tumors in patients who are not good candidates for anesthesia are more likely to be treated with radiosurgery. Many women receive both, with radiosurgery used after a craniotomy to treat residual tumor that could not be safely removed. 

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons provides a general overview of meningioma treatment options for patients who want to understand the medical side of these decisions. 

Does the Type of Treatment Affect Lawsuit Eligibility?

No. The treatment a woman received does not determine whether she may file a Depo-Provera lawsuit. The only factors that can include whether a patient or their family are eligible to take legal action are the medication that they used, how long they used it for, and the health conditions they were diagnosed with 

Women who used the Depo shot may be eligible to file a claim if they meet the following case criteria: 

1. Treatment with Depo-Provera, Depo-SubQ Provera 104, or a generic medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection. 
2. At least one year (typically, four injections) of treatment with the birth control shot 
3. A confirmed diagnosis of a cranial meningioma made by a health care professional. 

Our overview of who is eligible to file a Depo-Provera meningioma lawsuit explains these requirements in more detail.  

The federal multidistrict litigation pending in the Northern District of Florida related to Depo-Provera identifies qualifying meningioma diagnoses by tumor type and location, not by the procedure used to treat them.  

Women who underwent a craniotomy, women treated with CyberKnife or Gamma Knife, women who received both, and women whose tumors are being watched with periodic MRI scans are all working from the same eligibility standard.  

How Treatment History Can Affect the Value of a Claim

The treatment that a patient received after being diagnosed with meningioma does not affect their eligibility to file a claim, but it does help establish the extent of a woman’s damages. A claim reflects what the tumor and its treatment cost her, and treatment records are the clearest evidence of that. 

Factors that can influence claim value include the invasiveness of the procedures performed, the length of hospitalization and recovery, complications that followed, permanent neurological effects such as seizure disorders or vision loss, time missed from work, diminished earning capacity, the need for repeat treatment after recurrence, and the cost of continued imaging.  

Women who require lifetime monitoring for tumor recurrence may have future medical costs that extend for decades. Our guide to Depo-Provera meningioma compensation reviews the categories of damages available in these claims. 

The Records That Document Your Treatment

Operative reports, pathology results, radiation treatment summaries, and pre-treatment and post-treatment imaging all help document what happened and why.  

Women who do not have complete files should not delay contacting a lawyer, because law firm staff can request records on a client’s behalf, and many women are able to prove their Depo-Provera use without complete records. 

The tentative settlement that was recently announced in the Depo-Provera litigation is reshaping the legal options for women who may qualify to join this litigation However, because filing deadlines – known as statutes of limitations – may affect your ability to file a claim, it is important to speak with an attorney to preserve your right to take legal action. 

Contact a Depo-Provera Meningioma Lawyer

Whether a meningioma was removed through a craniotomy, treated with CyberKnife or another form of stereotactic radiosurgery, or is being monitored through repeat imaging, the diagnosis itself is what opens the door to legal action.  

The lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend are currently reviewing Depo-Provera brain tumor claims nationwide. A consultation with one of our attorneys is free, and our firm works on a contingency basis, which means clients pay nothing unless their case is successful. 

If you or a loved one used Depo-Provera and were diagnosed with a meningioma, contact Hissey Mulderig & Friend to find out if you may be eligible to file a claim, or call our office toll-free at 1-866-806-8117.