According to a recent CDC survey,
for the first time more American households have cell phones than land
lines. Meanwhile the evidence keeps accruing that long term cell phone
use appears to increase brain cancer risk.
In the U.S. the lifetime risk of developing glioma, the most common brain cancer, is between 1 in 200 and 1 in 250. If glioma risk doubled after 20 years of cell phone use (as the research cited below suggests), the lifetime risk would be between 1 in 100 and 1 in 125.
Three reviews of the research on cell phone use and brain tumor risk have been published in peer-reviewed journals in 2017. Each of these studies reports a statistically significant relationship between cell phone use of ten or more years and brain tumor risk especially on the side of the head where the cell phone was predominantly placed during phone calls (i.e., ipsilateral use).
In the U.S. the lifetime risk of developing glioma, the most common brain cancer, is between 1 in 200 and 1 in 250. If glioma risk doubled after 20 years of cell phone use (as the research cited below suggests), the lifetime risk would be between 1 in 100 and 1 in 125.
Three reviews of the research on cell phone use and brain tumor risk have been published in peer-reviewed journals in 2017. Each of these studies reports a statistically significant relationship between cell phone use of ten or more years and brain tumor risk especially on the side of the head where the cell phone was predominantly placed during phone calls (i.e., ipsilateral use).
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Bradford Hill Viewpoints from 1965 on Association or Causation
"The nine Bradford Hill viewpoints on association or causation regarding RF radiation and glioma risk seem to be fulfilled in this review.
Based on that we conclude that glioma is caused by RF radiation. Revision of current guidelines for exposure to RF radiation is needed."
This review paper by Michael Carlberg and Lennart Hardell evaluates the strength of the scientific evidence to determine whether there is a causal relationship between a risk factor and an associated disease -- namely, wireless (cellphone and cordless) phone use and glioma, the most common brain cancer. The paper applies the nine perspectives developed by Sir Austin Bradford Hill to the peer-reviewed data pertaining to this health risk.
The authors allege that official bodies that have
reviewed the evidence on mobile phone use and health risks have been
dominated by individuals with conflicts of interest. Moreover, these
reviewers have relied upon data from methodologically unsound studies,
including the Danish Cohort Study and a UK cohort study, to dismiss the
evidence from case-control studies.
Drawing upon several lines of research, the authors present a compelling argument for their conclusion that glioma is caused by radio frequency (RF) radiation. The paper recommends that the current guidelines for RF exposure must be revised to protect the population from exposure to low-intensity, non-thermal levels of radio frequency radiation.
Drawing upon several lines of research, the authors present a compelling argument for their conclusion that glioma is caused by radio frequency (RF) radiation. The paper recommends that the current guidelines for RF exposure must be revised to protect the population from exposure to low-intensity, non-thermal levels of radio frequency radiation.
Carlberg
M, Hardell L. Evaluation of Mobile Phone and Cordless Phone Use and
Glioma Risk Using
the Bradford Hill Viewpoints from 1965 on Association or Causation.
Biomed Research International. 2017;2017:9218486. doi:
10.1155/2017/9218486. Epub 2017 Mar 16.
Abstract
Objective.
Bradford Hill's viewpoints from 1965 on association or causation were
used on glioma risk and use of mobile or cordless phones.
Methods. All
nine viewpoints were evaluated based on epidemiology and laboratory
studies.
Results. Strength: meta-analysis of case-control studies gave
odds ratio (OR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.31-2.76 with
highest cumulative exposure.
Consistency: the risk increased with
latency, meta-analysis gave in the 10+ years' latency group OR = 1.62,
95% CI = 1.20-2.19.
Specificity: increased risk for glioma was in the
temporal lobe. Using meningioma cases as comparison group still
increased the risk.
Temporality: highest risk was in the 20+ years'
latency group, OR = 2.01, 95% CI =1.41-2.88, for wireless phones.
Biological gradient: cumulative use of wireless phones increased the risk.
Plausibility: animal studies showed an increased incidence of glioma and malignant schwannoma in rats exposed to radiofrequency (RF) radiation. There is increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from RF radiation.
Coherence: there is a change in the natural history of glioma and increasing incidence.
Biological gradient: cumulative use of wireless phones increased the risk.
Plausibility: animal studies showed an increased incidence of glioma and malignant schwannoma in rats exposed to radiofrequency (RF) radiation. There is increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from RF radiation.
Coherence: there is a change in the natural history of glioma and increasing incidence.
Experiment: antioxidants
reduced ROS production from RF radiation.
Analogy: there is an increased
risk in subjects exposed to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic
fields.
Conclusion. RF radiation should be regarded as a human
carcinogen causing glioma.
Abstract for open access paper: http://bit.ly/2p1ovBU
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Mobile phone use and risk for intracranial tumors and salivary gland tumors--A meta-analysis
This study conducted by scientists at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, in Łódź, Poland, examined the research on mobile phone use and the risk of brain tumors and salivary gland tumors. The study found a significant relationship between mobile phone use and the risk of an intracranial tumor on the same side of the head where the phone was placed during calls. The study also reported a significant relationship between mobile phone use of 10 or more years and intracranial tumor risk.
Bortkiewicz
A, Gadzicka E, Szymczak W. Mobile phone use and risk for intracranial
tumors and salivary gland tumors - A meta-analysis. Int J Occup Med
Environ Health. 2017 Feb 21;30(1):27-43. doi:
10.13075/ijomeh.1896.00802. Epub 2017 Feb 13.
Abstract
Results
of epidemiological studies on the association between use of mobile
phone and brain cancer are ambiguous, as well as the results of 5
meta-analysis studies published to date. Since the last meta-analysis
(2009), new case-control studies have been published, which
theoretically could affect the conclusions on this relationship.
Therefore, we decided to perform a new meta-analysis. We conducted a
systematic review of multiple electronic data bases for relevant
publications. The inclusion criteria were: original papers, case-control
studies, published till the end of March 2014, measures of association
(point estimates as odds ratio and confidence interval of the effect
measured), data on individual exposure. Twenty four studies (26 846
cases, 50 013 controls) were included into the meta-analysis. A
significantly higher risk of an intracranial tumor (all types) was noted
for the period of mobile phone use over 10 years (odds ratio (OR) =
1.324, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.028-1.704), and for the
ipsilateral location (OR = 1.249, 95% CI: 1.022-1.526). The results
support the hypothesis that long-term use of mobile phone increases risk
of intracranial tumors, especially in the case of ipsilateral exposure.
Further studies are needed to confirm this relationship.
Excerpts
The
results obtained in the random effects model indicated that there was a
significant relationship between mobile phone use for longer than 10
years and the risk of intracranial tumors (OR = 1.46, 95% CI:
1.07–1.98).
Because OR is significantly greater than 1
(OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.04–1.52), we can conclude that there is a
significant relationship between the time from the first regular use of
mobile phone of 10 years or more and the risk of intracranial tumors.
Since
OR is greater than 1 (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.06–1.57), there is a
significant relationship between ipsilateral use of mobile phone and the
risk of intracranial tumor.
We found a significant relationship between:
–– all intracranial tumors and all phone types; ipsilateral exposure;
–– all intracranial tumors and all phone types, when the time of mobile phone use was not shorter than 10 years;
–– all intracranial tumors and all phone types when the time from the first regular use of mobile phone was 10 years or more.
We
are not able to compare our results with reference to different kinds
of intracranial tumors (glioma, meningioma, acoustic neuroma) in
relation to time of using mobile phones. A reliable analysis was not
feasible because, in our opinion, the number of original works is too
small.
Conclusions
Our results support the hypothesis that
long-term (over 10 years) use of mobile phones increases the risk of
intracranial tumors, especially in the case of ipsilateral exposure. The
same conclusions are valid for the work by Davis et al. (2013) [45],
who reviewed papers on the association between the use of wireless
(mobile and cordless) phones and intracranial tumors. Those authors
stress that the risk of tumors in people who have used the phone for
periods longer than 10 years is significantly elevated. In people who
had started using the phone on a regular basis before they were 20 years
old, the risk of ipsilateral glioma was found to be fourfold higher.
Hardell et al. (2013) [46] stress the significance of the “lifetime
exposure dose.” For an exposure of ≥ 1640 h, the risk of ipsilateral
acoustic neuroma is 2.55 (95% CI: 1.5–4.4).
These results are in
concordance with the conclusion of the expert panel for the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), that cell phones are
possibly carcinogenic (Group 2B) [47]. More research is needed to
confirm that electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones are
carcinogenic to humans.
Open Access Paper: http://bit.ly/2m8Amwt
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Mobile phone use and risk of brain tumors: a systematic review
The results of a review and meta-analysis of the research on cell phone use and brain tumor risk found that long-term or heavy cell phone use was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of brain tumors.
Overall, the study found that long-term or heavy cell phone use was associated with a 33% increased risk of a brain tumor.
The risk of a brain tumor for long-term cell phone use varied depending upon the quality of the research study with higher quality studies tending to yield greater risk estimates (see Table below). For the five highest quality studies, the estimates ranged from a 21% increased risk to 2.6 times the risk of a non-cellphone user. For five lower quality studies. the estimates ranged from a 47% reduced risk to 5.1 times the risk of a non-cellphone user.
The risk of a brain tumor for long-term cell phone use varied depending upon the quality of the research study with higher quality studies tending to yield greater risk estimates (see Table below). For the five highest quality studies, the estimates ranged from a 21% increased risk to 2.6 times the risk of a non-cellphone user. For five lower quality studies. the estimates ranged from a 47% reduced risk to 5.1 times the risk of a non-cellphone user.
Based upon the results
of this review, the authors recommend that precautionary
measures be taken to reduce the adverse effects of cell phone use.
In this study, long-term cell phone use was defined as ten or more years. The highest quality studies scored 7 or 8 on a 10-point scale, and the lower quality studies scored 5 or 6.
In this study, long-term cell phone use was defined as ten or more years. The highest quality studies scored 7 or 8 on a 10-point scale, and the lower quality studies scored 5 or 6.
This paper was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Neurological Sciences.
The first author of this paper, Dr. Manya Prasad is in the Department of Community Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak. India. His colleagues are in the Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India.
Abstract
Mobile phones emit electromagnetic radiations that are classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Evidence for increased risk for brain tumours accumulated in parallel by epidemiologic investigations remains controversial. This paper aims to investigate whether methodological quality of studies and source of funding can explain the variation in results.
PubMed and Cochrane CENTRAL searches were conducted from 1966 to December 2016, which was supplemented with relevant articles identified in the references. Twenty-two case control studies were included for systematic review.
Meta-analysis of 14 case-control studies showed practically no increase in risk of brain tumour [OR 1.03 (95% CI 0.92-1.14)]. However, for mobile phone use of 10 years or longer (or 1,640 or more hours in lifetime), the overall result of the meta-analysis showed a significant 1.33 times increase in risk. The summary estimate of government funded as well as phone industry funded studies showed 1.07 times increase in odds which was not significant, while mixed funded studies did not show any increase in risk of brain tumour. Meta-regression analysis indicated that the association was significantly associated with methodological study quality (p < 0.019, 95% CI 0.009-0.09). Relationship between source of funding and log OR for each study was not statistically significant (p < 0.32, 95% CI 0.036-0.010).
We found evidence linking mobile phone use and risk of brain tumours especially in long-term users (10 or more years). Studies with higher quality showed a trend towards high risk of brain tumour, while lower quality showed a trend towards lower risk/protection.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28213724
Excerpts
In the 22 case–control studies, a total of 48,452 participants (17,321 patient cases and 31,131 controls) were identified, with the mean age of 46.65 years (range 18–90 years). Data for ipsilateral use and temporal lobe location could not be retrieved from the papers. However, data for long-term use of mobile phones (10 or more years) were extracted from 12 studies out of 22 studies (Tables 1, 2).
Data from 14 case control studies were included in the meta-analysis. We identified a total of 30,421 participants (12,426 cases and 19,334 controls). In Fig. 2, the study with quality sum of 8 shows that there is 1.64 times increase in odds of having brain tumour with mobile phone use. In the hierarchical meta-analysis of studies with progressively lower quality scores of 7, 6, and 5, the odds ratio progressively decreased to 1.08, 0.98, and 0.81, respectively. Therefore, the overall result [OR 1.03 (95% CI 0.92–1.14)] shows a statistically insignificant increase in odds of risk of brain tumour.
In Fig. 3, the study with quality sum of eight shows that there is 2.58 times increase in odds of having brain tumour with mobile phone use of more than 10 years duration. In the meta-analysis, studies with progressively lower quality score of 7 and 6 show a progressively lower risk of brain tumour with odds ratio 1.44 and 1.13, respectively. However, the overall result of the meta-analysis shows a significant 1.33 times increase in odds of having risk of brain tumours with mobile phone use.
Stratified meta-analysis according to sources of funding shows a consistent increase in risk of brain tumour with mobile phone use of more than 10 years. While summary estimate of government funded studies shows 1.64 times increase in odds (Supplementary Figure IV), mixed funded studies show 1.05 times increase in odds of risk of brain tumours, but the results were not statistically significant (Supplementary Figure V). The data for more than 10 years of use were not available for phone industry funded studies.
The meta-analysis of case–control studies
found that there is a significant positive correlation between study
quality and risk of brain tumour associated with use of mobile phones.
Higher quality studies show a statistically significant association
between mobile phone use and risk of brain tumour, but adding poor
quality studies leads to loss of significance. We found that Government
funded studies were generally of higher methodological quality than
phone industry funded or mixed funded.
However,
one qualitatively similar finding in both government funded as well as
mixed funded studies is that long-term use (10 or more years or 1640 or more hours of lifetime cellphone use)
is associated with increased risk of brain tumour.
Conclusion
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More information about cell phone use and brain tumor risk
Brain Tumor Rates Are Rising in the US: The Role of Cellphone & Cordless Phone Use
The Incidence of Meningioma, a Non-Malignant Brain Tumor, is Increasing in the U.S.
Why do many scientists believe mobile phone use increases cancer risk?
MOBI-KIDS: Childhood Brain Tumor Risk & Mobile Phone Use Study
Wall Street Journal asks "Should Cellphones Have Warning Labels?"
WHO Monograph on Cancer Risk from Mobile Phone Use Released
Key Cell Phone Radiation Research Studies
