July 5, 2016 (links updated May 10, 2022)
Many countries monitor brain cancer incidence using cancer registries which document the number of new cases diagnosed each year. Although brain cancer is rare--about 24,000 cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year--the lifetime risk is between 1 in 200 and 1 in 250. Three peer-reviewed, published case-control studies suggest that the risk may double after 10 years of heavy cellphone use. Only 35% of brain cancer patients survive for 5 or more years. Some scientists argue that brain cancer incidence has been stable over time so one need not worry about the findings from these controlled studies. However, the facts tell a different story.
This one-page fact sheet can be downloaded from
