Meta-analysis of long-term mobile phone use and the association with brain tumours

Primary CNS tumors in adults and environmental factors: an update

Health Risk Analysis ◽

10.21668/health.risk/2020.3.21 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 176-181

Author(s):

S.G. Berntsson ◽

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Brain Tumor ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cns Tumors ◽

Acoustic Neurinoma ◽

Low Grade ◽

Mobile Phone Use ◽

Increased Risk

The incidence of adult primary brain tumors is increasing in some European countries. High-dose ionizing irradiation, rare genetic syndromes, and genetic predisposition in 5 % of families are a few established environmental risk factors for brain tumor. Mobile phone use that causes near brain exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic waves and thus creates risks of CNS tumors has been the focus of many studies. Nine meta-analyses were available on this subject. The Interphone multi-center case-control study is the largest one to date; it included 2.708 glioma and 2.409 meningioma cases and matched controls in 13 countries. Studies exploring metals (cadmium, lead), pesticides, outdoor pollution, virus, and risk of glioma created by exposure to them were reviewed. Interphone study did not show increased risk of glioma or meningioma in mobile-phone users. One recent meta-analysis in 2017 found that prolonged exposure i.e.,> 10 years of all phone types was associated with increased risk of ipsilateral CNS tumor locations. In another meta-analysis, long-term use of mobile-phones was found to be a risk factor for low-grade glioma. In case of all durations regarding mobile phone use and both sides of the head, the results of pooling data were more discordant. A large prospective study in 2014 showed that long term use vs never use increased risks of acoustic neurinoma (10+ years: RR = 2.46, 95 % CI = 1.07–5.64, P = 0.03), but not of glioma or meningioma. Studies of other risk factors showed no/weak/contradictory association with brain tumor risk. In the absence of robust and consistent evidence, a causal relation between radiofrequency exposure and CNS tumors was not found. Large prospective studies of this kind regarding a disease with low incidence require a high number of participants and a long follow-up period.

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Primary CNS tumors in adults and environmental factors: an update

Health Risk Analysis ◽

10.21668/health.risk/2020.3.21.eng ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 176-181

Author(s):

S.G. Berntsson ◽

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Brain Tumor ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Cns Tumors ◽

Acoustic Neurinoma ◽

Low Grade ◽

Mobile Phone Use ◽

Increased Risk

The incidence of adult primary brain tumors is increasing in some European countries. High-dose ionizing irradiation, rare genetic syndromes, and genetic predisposition in 5 % of families are a few established environmental risk factors for brain tumor. Mobile phone use that causes near brain exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic waves and thus creates risks of CNS tumors has been the focus of many studies. Nine meta-analyses were available on this subject. The Interphone multi-center case-control study is the largest one to date; it included 2.708 glioma and 2.409 meningioma cases and matched controls in 13 countries. Studies exploring metals (cadmium, lead), pesticides, outdoor pollution, virus, and risk of glioma created by exposure to them were reviewed. Interphone study did not show increased risk of glioma or meningioma in mobile-phone users. One recent meta-analysis in 2017 found that prolonged exposure i.e.,> 10 years of all phone types was associated with increased risk of ipsilateral CNS tumor locations. In another meta-analysis, long-term use of mobile-phones was found to be a risk factor for low-grade glioma. In case of all durations regarding mobile phone use and both sides of the head, the results of pooling data were more discordant. A large prospective study in 2014 showed that long term use vs never use increased risks of acoustic neurinoma (10+ years: RR = 2.46, 95 % CI = 1.07–5.64, P = 0.03), but not of glioma or meningioma. Studies of other risk factors showed no/weak/contradictory association with brain tumor risk. In the absence of robust and consistent evidence, a causal relation between radiofrequency exposure and CNS tumors was not found. Large prospective studies of this kind regarding a disease with low incidence require a high number of participants and a long follow-up period.

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Mobile phone use and incidence of brain tumour histological types, grading or anatomical location: a population-based ecological study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024489 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. e024489 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ken Karipidis ◽

Mark Elwood ◽

Geza Benke ◽

Masoumeh Sanagou ◽

Lydiawati Tjong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Brain Tumour ◽

Brain Tumours ◽

Ecological Study ◽

Population Based ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Anatomical Location ◽

Mobile Phone Use ◽

Registration Data ◽

Relative Risks

ObjectiveSome studies have reported increasing trends in certain brain tumours and a possible link with mobile phone use has been suggested. We examined the incidence time trends of brain tumour in Australia for three distinct time periods to ascertain the influence of improved diagnostic technologies and increase in mobile phone use on the incidence of brain tumours.DesignIn a population-based ecological study, we examined trends of brain tumour over the periods 1982–1992, 1993–2002 and 2003–2013. We further compared the observed incidence during the period of substantial mobile phone use (2003–2013) with predicted (modelled) incidence for the same period by applying various relative risks, latency periods and mobile phone use scenarios.SettingNational Australian incidence registration data on primary cancers of the brain diagnosed between 1982 and 2013.Population16 825 eligible brain cancer cases aged 20–59 from all of Australia (10 083 males and 6742 females).Main outcome measuresAnnual percentage change (APC) in brain tumour incidence based on Poisson regression analysis.ResultsThe overall brain tumour rates remained stable during all three periods. There was an increase in glioblastoma during 1993–2002 (APC 2.3, 95% CI 0.8 to 3.7) which was likely due to advances in the use of MRI during that period. There were no increases in any brain tumour types, including glioma (−0.6, –1.4 to 0.2) and glioblastoma (0.8, –0.4 to 2.0), during the period of substantial mobile phone use from 2003 to 2013. During that period, there was also no increase in glioma of the temporal lobe (0.5, –1.3 to 2.3), which is the location most exposed when using a mobile phone. Predicted incidence rates were higher than the observed rates for latency periods up to 15 years.ConclusionsIn Australia, there has been no increase in any brain tumour histological type or glioma location that can be attributed to mobile phones.

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Long-Term Mobile Phone Use and Acoustic Neuroma

Epidemiology ◽

10.1097/ede.0000000000000134 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 778 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lennart Hardell ◽

Michael Carlberg

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Acoustic Neuroma ◽

Mobile Phone Use

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Long-Term Mobile Phone Use Leads to Brain Tumors

Encyclopedia of Mobile Phone Behavior ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8239-9.ch052 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 630-639

Author(s):

Lai Lei Lou

Keyword(s):

Brain Tumors ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Acoustic Neuroma ◽

Mobile Phone Use ◽

One Year ◽

Mobile Phone Radiation

Although mobile phones have proved to be lifesaving in certain circumstances, wide concerns have been raised about brain tumors associated with their use. This article systematically reviews previous and current research in regards to mobile phone use and brain tumors. Recently, research (more than 10 years mobile phone use or cumulative mobile phone use more than 1640 hours) has been found that the amount of exposure to mobile phone radiation plays a key role in determining the significant associations between mobile phone use and gliomas, and acoustic neuroma. In general, those who use mobile phones for more than ten years, or cumulative call time for more than 1640 hours, have higher risks to develop brain tumors, especially glioma and acoustic neuroma, than those who use mobile phones for less than one year.

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