New research has revealed that women taking a widely-used contraceptive pill for extended periods may face a slightly elevated risk of developing brain tumours.

The French study examined medical records from more than 8,000 women who underwent surgery for meningiomas, a type of brain tumour that is typically non-cancerous but can still cause serious health complications.

Scientists discovered that women who had taken the mini-pill containing desogestrel for five years or longer showed an increased likelihood of developing these tumours.

The research, published in the British Medical Journal, estimated that approximately one in every 67,000 women using desogestrel long-term would develop a meningioma requiring surgical intervention.

The risk only manifested in women who had taken the medication continuously for at least five years

However, the study found that this elevated risk completely disappeared within a year of discontinuing the medication.

The research team analysed data from the French national health insurance database, comparing women who had undergone meningioma surgery with a control group.

They specifically examined the use of desogestrel, a synthetic progesterone commonly prescribed to women who cannot take oestrogen-containing contraceptives due to health concerns or adverse effects.

The scientists found that the increased risk only manifested in women who had taken the medication continuously for at least five years.

Shorter-term use showed no association with elevated meningioma risk, however.

Meningiomas develop in the protective layers surrounding the brain and, whilst over 90 per cent are benign, they can cause significant symptoms including persistent headaches, seizures, vision problems and memory difficulties as they grow and exert pressure on brain tissue.

Health experts have urged women not to panic about the findings, emphasising that the absolute risk remains extremely low.

Dr Mangesh Thorat, Honorary Reader at Queen Mary University of London, said: "The magnitude of increase in the risk is small.

"Short-term use is not associated with increased risk, and the excess risk ceases to exist once the use is stopped for more than a year."

Dr Karen Noble, Director of Research, Policy and Innovation at Brain Tumour Research, stressed: "Most women taking desogestrel will not develop a brain tumour, and the overall risk remains low."

She added: "While it identifies a small increased risk of intracranial meningioma associated with long-term use of desogestrel oral contraceptives, it's vital to stress that this is a correlation, not proof of causation."

Approximately 3.1 million women in the UK currently use the mini-pill, representing about six per cent of women aged 16 to 49.

Meningioma is a tumour that grows from the membranesGETTY

The contraceptive works by thickening cervical mucus and thinning the womb lining, preventing sperm from reaching eggs or fertilised eggs from implanting.

When taken correctly, it is over 99 per cent effective at preventing pregnancy.

Dr Thorat advised women with concerns to consult their GP, noting that the study examined only desogestrel and not other progesterone formulations.

He emphasised that commonly used contraceptives like Microgynon and the morning-after pill showed no increased meningioma risk.

The findings follow recent concerns about hormonal contraceptives, including a separate study linking long-term use of contraceptive injections to similar brain tumour risks.