ID Number		168
Study Type		Epidemiology
Model		Mobile phone use and cancer risk.
Details		Human subjects from Phoenix (Barrow Neurological Institute - Dr. Bill Shapiro), Harvard (Dr. Howard Fine) and Pittsburg (West Pennsylvania Hospital - Dr. Robert Selker) with brain tumors (gliomas [n = 489; 354 high-grade, 135 low-grade], meningioma [n = 197], and acoustic neuroma [n = 96]) were analyzed for cell phone use. The authors conclude that the data does not support a connection between the use of hand-held cellular telephones and brain tumors, although the authors stated that insufficient evidence exists to evaluate the risks of long-term, heavy users or use for long periods of time. In a subsequent study using the same cases and controls (Neuroepidemiolog, 2003, 22:130-138), but not including RF exposure from mobile phone use, the authors looked at brain tumor laterality vs sex, age at diagnosis, marital status at diagnosis, education, income, hospital, handedness, demographics, and presenting symptoms. The authors report some increased high-grade gliomas in men, some differences in average age at diagnosis between low- and high-grade gliomas, and some interesting time-of-diagnosis and laterality associations with marital status. There was a significant left-sided predominance of glioma of unspecified type (12:1). However, overall the authors report no significant difference in laterality of the major tumor types with the above non-RF associated factors. Overall study findings: OR = 0.9 ; 95% CI 0.5-1.6 - glioma (> 100 hrs), OR = 0.7 ; 95% CI 0.3-1.7 - meningioma (> 100 hrs), OR = 1.4 ; 95% CI 0.6-3.5 - acoustic neuroma (> 100 hrs), no ipsilateral association. The group also published earlier studies on occupational exposures (including RF) and leukemia in Sweden.
Findings		No Effects
Status		Completed With Publication
Principal Investigator		National Cancer Institute, USA
Funding Agency		NCI, USA
Country		UNITED STATES
References		Inskip, PD et al. New England J. Med, (2001) 344:79-86 Inskip, PD et al. Rad Prot Dos, (1999) 86:45-52 Inskip, PD et al. Neuroepidemiology, (2003) 22:130-138 Linet, MS et al. Am. J. Ind. Med., (1988) 14:319-330 Linet, MS et al. Rev Environ Health., (2010) 25:51-55 Withrow, DR et al. Cancer., (2021) doi.org/10.1002/cncr.33553:-
Comments		Dosimetry was obtained by nurse interview. AUTHORS' ABSTRACT: Linet and Inskip 2010 (IEEE #5637): An anecdotal 1993 United States (U.S.) television report linking a woman's brain tumor with her cell phone use led Congress to urge the National Cancer Institute to conduct epidemiologic research on brain tumor risks associated with cell phone use. Public concerns were driven by the dramatic increase in use of a novel technology and the largely unknown etiology of brain tumors. Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy which is a form of nonionizing radiation. Electromagnetic radiation includes two major types: ionizing or highfrequency radiation (such as that produced by x-ray machines, nuclear energy, radon and other forms), which has been shown to pose cancer risks, and non-ionizing or low frequency radiation (such as radiofrequency emitted by cell phones, microwaves or radar or extremely low-frequency emitted by power lines and many electrical appliances), which is not established as carcinogenic /1,2/. At high power levels, radiofrequency radiation can cause heating of tissue. The level of radiofrequency energy produced by cell phones, however, is too low to produce significant tissue heating or an increase in body temperature /1/. The most common use of radiofrequency energy is for telecommunications including AM/FM radios, VHF/UHF televisions, cellular telephones, and cordless telephones, which historically operated at lower radiofrequencies than cellular telephones. Other sources of radiofrequency energy include radar, satellite stations, magnetic resonance imaging devices, microwave ovens, and industrial equipment, all of which operate at higher frequencies than cell phones /1/. Limited numbers of epidemiologic studies that have evaluated cancer risks associated with exposures to radiofrequency energy sources other than cell phones have shown null results or a few inconsistent findings, but often statistical power was insufficient to provide stable risk estimates for brain tumors, leukemia, or other rare outcomes /1/. There is no consistent experimental evidence of carcinogenicity or genotoxicity associated with radiofrequency radiation exposure, and a potential biologic mechanism by which radiofrequency radiation might cause cancer has not been identified /1/.