Key Points

• Studies published in 2025 and 2026 report that some meningiomas linked to Depo-Provera shrink or stop growing after women stop receiving the shot. 
• Not every tumor responds. Tumors that invade bone or cause serious symptoms may still require surgery or radiation. 
• A meningioma that shrinks or stabilizes is still a meningioma diagnosis. Women in this situation may qualify to file a Depo-Provera lawsuit. 

Why It Matters

Many women diagnosed with meningioma after using Depo-Provera are never sent to brain surgery. Their doctors tell them to stop the shot and return for follow-up MRI scans. Some of these women assume that without surgery or radiation, they have no legal claim. That assumption is wrong, and it could cause women to miss the filing deadline in their state. 

Some Depo-Provera Meningiomas Shrink, but Others Continue to Grow

Meningioma brain tumors linked to the Depo-Provera birth control shot do not always shrink after a woman stops receiving injections. Some tumors continue to grow and require surgery or radiation. Other tumors shrink or stop growing once the shot is stopped. Studies published in 2025 and 2026 have documented tumors that shrank after Depo-Provera was discontinued, as well as tumors that behaved unexpectedly.

Women who were diagnosed with meningioma brain tumors after using the Depo shot may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for their illness and treatment costs, regardless of whether or not the tumor has shrunk.  

If you or a loved one were diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor after using Depo-Provera, contact the lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or fill out our free Depo-Provera claim form to find out if you qualify. 

How the Hormone in Depo-Provera May Affect Meningiomas

A meningioma is a tumor that forms in the meninges, the protective layers of tissue that surround the brain and spinal cord. Many meningiomas contain progesterone receptors, which are proteins that respond to the hormone progesterone.  

Depo-Provera contains medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), a synthetic form of progesterone known as a progestin. Researchers believe that long-term exposure to this hormone may fuel tumor growth in some women. 

FDA Label Now Directs Doctors to Stop Depo-Provera After a Meningioma Diagnosis

In December 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label change adding a meningioma warning to Depo-Provera for the first time. The updated prescribing information instructs healthcare providers to monitor patients for signs and symptoms of meningioma and to discontinue the drug if a meningioma is diagnosed. 

The label also lists a current or past meningioma as a contraindication, which is a medical reason the drug should not be used. As a result, most women diagnosed today stop receiving injections. For many women, the next step is monitoring with repeat MRI scans rather than immediate surgery. 

What Recent Studies Found About Tumor Regression

Doctors use two terms to describe how a tumor responds after a hormone is stopped. Regression means the tumor becomes smaller. Stabilization means the tumor stops growing. 

In March 2025, researchers from the French group whose 2024 study in The BMJ first linked Depo-Provera to a higher meningioma risk published a commentary in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health. The authors stated that Depo-Provera must be stopped when a meningioma is found, because stopping the drug may lead to tumor regression and avoid the need for surgery. Their findings add to the broader body of medical research on Depo-Provera and meningioma. 

In April 2026, a study published in the journal Neurosurgery reviewed 32 prior studies. The review found that high-dose progestins were associated with an increased meningioma risk and that tumors regressed after the drugs were withdrawn. The researchers then compared 38 women who used Depo-Provera for at least two uninterrupted years with 57 women who had not used the drug. The study found that tumors in Depo-Provera users were: 

1. More likely to be multiple tumors rather than a single tumor; 
2. More likely to invade bone, at 50% compared with 17.5% in the comparison group; 
3. More often located at the skull base, near the optic nerves and major blood vessels; 
4. Positive for progesterone receptors in every case, compared with about 62% of tumors in the comparison group. 

The authors concluded that their findings support stopping Depo-Provera and monitoring the tumor before surgery in women who do not have symptoms. 

In June 2026, a study published in Neuro-Oncology analyzed tumors from 10 women with long-term Depo-Provera use. All of the tumors were WHO Grade 1, the least aggressive category of meningioma. Nine of the 10 women had more than one meningioma. Among tumors that were not treated with surgery or radiation, four women experienced regression after stopping Depo-Provera, and five experienced stabilization.  

The researchers identified regression or stabilization after stopping the shot as one feature of a recognizable pattern of Depo-Provera-associated meningiomas. The authors also noted that the study involved a small group of patients from a single institution. 

Not Every Meningioma Shrinks After Stopping Depo-Provera

The published research does not show that every Depo-Provera meningioma will shrink. The studies involve relatively small groups of women, and results differ from patient to patient. 

Tumors that grow into bone may behave differently. A 2025 case report in Surgical Neurology International described a spheno-orbital meningioma, a tumor involving the bone around the eye socket, that evolved unexpectedly after a woman stopped a progestin treatment. 

Women who experience vision changes, seizures, weakness, or severe headaches may need treatment regardless of how the tumor responds to stopping the shot. In these cases, doctors may recommend surgery or radiation. The differences between these options are explained in our post on craniotomy and CyberKnife treatment decisions. 

Women whose tumors shrink or stabilize still require ongoing imaging to confirm that the tumor is not growing again. Many women face years of medical monitoring after diagnosis. Women should discuss all treatment and birth control decisions with their doctors. 

Shrinking Tumors Do Not End a Depo-Provera Claim

Eligibility for a Depo-Provera lawsuit is based on a meningioma diagnosis after using the shot, not on the type of treatment a woman received. This is also true for tumors described as benign or WHO Grade I. 

Women who were diagnosed and monitored rather than treated with surgery may still have suffered real losses. These losses can include MRI scans and specialist visits, symptoms such as headaches or vision problems, time away from work, and the emotional toll of living with a brain tumor. Learn more about the damages women may recover in these cases. 

Imaging records that show a tumor shrinking after the shot was stopped may also help document the connection between the hormone and the tumor. Radiology reports, MRI dates, and injection records are among the medical records that support a Depo-Provera claim. 

A shrinking tumor does not pause the legal clock. Filing deadlines vary by state and may begin running on the date of diagnosis. Pfizer reached a Master Settlement Agreement in June 2026, and the settlement registration process is designed for women whose cases are already pending. Women who have not yet filed may still qualify to take legal action. 

Women who used the Depo shot and were diagnosed with meningioma may be eligible to file a lawsuit if they meet the following case criteria: 

1. Used Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ Provera 104 for birth control; 
2. At least one year (four injections) of Depo-Provera use; 
3. Diagnosed with cerebral meningioma brain tumors. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a meningioma go away completely after stopping Depo-Provera?

The studies published to date describe tumors that shrank or stopped growing after Depo-Provera was stopped. They do not establish how often a tumor disappears entirely. 

Does the hormone leave the body right after the last injection?

No. Each Depo-Provera injection is designed to prevent pregnancy for about three months, so hormone exposure does not end on the day of the last shot. The published studies do not establish a standard timeline for when a tumor may begin to shrink. 

Can a woman file a Depo-Provera lawsuit if her tumor shrank?

Yes. Women diagnosed with meningioma after using Depo-Provera may qualify to file a lawsuit and receive compensation, even if the tumor later shrank or stopped growing. 

Contact Our Law Firm to Start Your Claim Today

If you or a loved one used Depo-Provera or generic birth control injections and were diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation. This includes women whose tumors have shrunk or stopped growing and women who never needed surgery or radiation. 

The lawyers at Hissey Mulderig & Friend are currently investigating claims involving meningioma brain tumors linked to the Depo shot. Our law firm represents women across the U.S. who were diagnosed with meningiomas or other side effects after using Depo-Provera. 

Talk with a lawyer about your medical history, find out whether you qualify, or start the process of filing your claim today by calling the law firm of Hissey Mulderig & Friend toll-free at 1-866-806-8117, or by filling out the free case evaluation form located at the top of this page.