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Hardell, L, Nasman, A, Pahlson, A, Hallquist, A and Mild, KH. Use of cellular telephones and the risk for brain tumors: a case-control study. Int. J. Oncol., 15: 113-116, 1999.
The authors conducted a case-control study1 that included 209 brain tumor cases and 425 matched controls. They reported no overall increased risk of brain tumors associated with handheld mobile phone use. No statistically significant associations were observed between the side of the head where the handheld mobile phone was used and the location of the brain tumors. No dose response relationship between handheld mobile phone use and brain tumors was observed. (In other words, using a handheld mobile phone for a longer period of time did not seem to increase the likelihood of getting a brain tumor.)
Inskip PD, Tarone RE, Hatch EE, Wilcosky TC, Shapiro WR, Selker RG, Fine HA, Black PM, Loeffler JS, Linet MS. Cellular-Telephone Use and Brain Tumors. N Engl J Med. 2001 Jan 11;344(2):79-86.
This case-control study of cellular telephone use and brain tumors consisted of 489 patients with glioma, 197 with meningioma, and 96 with acoustic neuroma. These patients were matched with 799 controls without brain tumors who were admitted to the same hospitals and matched by demographic characteristics. Patients in the study were interviewed about their mobile phone use, or proxies were interviewed if patients were too ill to interview. These researchers examined the potential relationship between the location of the tumor and the side of the head where the mobile phone was placed during use. No statistically significant association was found. This is particularly important because the energy deposited from handheld mobile phones is greater on the side of the head where the phone is held. The results do not support the existence of an association between handheld cell phone use and certain cancers (glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma). The assessment of potential long-term effects will require long-term study.
The use of a handheld mobile phone was not significantly associated with the risk of glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma. No statistically significant association was observed between the length of average daily handheld phone use, number of years of use, or cumulative hours of use and the risk of glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma.
Johansen C, Boice JD, McLaughlin JK, Olsen JH. Cellular Telephones and Cancer-a Nationwide Cohort Study in Denmark. J Natl. Cancer Inst. 2001 Feb 7;93(3):203-207.
Johansen et al conducted a retrospective cohort study2 of the cancer incidence among cellular phone users in Denmark from 1982 to 1995. A total of 420,095 mobile phone subscribers were identified and included in the study, resulting in 1,128,493 person-years of follow-up. Although the follow-up range was 0-15 years, the mean time for follow-up was 3.1 years. Cancer incidence was determined by linkage with the Danish Cancer Registry. No association was observed between the use of mobile phones and the incidence of all cancers, or a number of specific cancers, including brain cancer, salivary gland cancer, or leukemia. The assessment of potential long-term effects will require long-term study.
Muscat JE, Malkin MG, Thompson S, Shore RE, Stellman SD, McRee D, Neugut
AI, Wynder EL. Handheld cellular telephone use and risk of brain cancer. JAMA.
2000 Dec 20;284(23):3001-7.
This was a case-control study of the potential relationship between handheld mobile phone use and brain cancer. The cases consist of 469 individuals with primary brain cancer, matched on a 1:1 ratio with inpatients from the same hospitals by age, race, sex and month of admission. Information was gathered through extensive interviews and reported average monthly bill. Researchers were unable to obtain actual billing records of mobile phone use. No association between regular past or current handheld mobile phone use and primary brain cancer was observed. No statistically significant association was observed between primary brain cancer and any of the following: years of mobile phone use, the number of hours of use per month, or the cumulative number of hours of use. The results do not support the existence of an association between handheld mobile phone use and primary brain cancer. The assessment of potential long-term effects will require long-term study.
Preece, AW, Iwi, G, Davies-Smith, A, Wesnes, K, Butler, S, Lim, E, and Varey,
A. Effect of a 915-MHz simulated mobile phone signal on cognitive function in
man. Int. J. Radiat. Biol., April 8, 1999.
Two groups of 18 people were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals under laboratory conditions while they performed cognitive function tests. There were no changes in the subjects' ability to recall words, numbers, or pictures, or in their spatial memory, but they were able to make choices more quickly in one visual test when they were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals. This was the only change noted among more than 20 variables compared.
Stang A, Anasassiou G, Ahrens A, Bromen K, Bornfeld, N, Jockel K: The possible
role of radiofrequency radiation in the development of uveal melanoma. Epidemiology
2001; 12:7-12.
This is a German case-control study of uveal melanoma, a rare intraocular tumor, and occupational exposure to electromagnetic radiation. The authors compared 118 cases of uveal melanoma with 475 controls without the disease. While the authors reported that an elevated risk of uveal melanoma was associated with "probable/certain" exposure to mobile phones, FDA believes that the study does not establish an association between wireless phone and uveal melanoma because of considerable limitations of the study. The questionnaire was not originally designed to obtain a detailed exposure history of radiofrequency radiation from the participants, with the result that the study did not assess significant factors that could affect the outcome. The study did not determine whether participants used handheld or non-handheld wireless phones, digital or analog phones, or how frequently they made calls with wireless phones. The study did not attempt to control recall bias and did not control for potential confounders (other variables that could change the conclusion), such as exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Tice et al. Tests of mobile phone signals for activity in genotoxicity and
other laboratory assays. In: Annual Meeting of the Environmental Mutagen Society;
March 29, 1999, Washington, D.C.; and personal communication, unpublished results.
Tice RR, Hook GG, Donner M, McRee DI, Guy AW. Genotoxicity of radiofrequency signals. Investigation of DNA damage and micronuclei induction in cultured human blood cells. Bioelectromagnetics, Vol. 23, issue 2, 2002; pp. 113-126
Researchers conducted a large battery of laboratory tests to assess the effects
of exposure to mobile phone RF on genetic material. These included tests for
several kinds of abnormalities, including mutations, chromosomal aberrations,
DNA strand breaks, and structural changes in the genetic material of blood cells
called lymphocytes. None of the tests showed any effect of the RF except for
the micronucleus assay, which detects structural effects on the genetic material.
The cells in this assay showed changes after exposure to simulated cell phone
radiation, but only after 24 hours of exposure. It is possible that exposing
the test cells to radiation for this long resulted in heating. Since this assay
is known to be sensitive to heating, heat alone could have caused the abnormalities
to occur. The data already in the literature on the response of the micronucleus
assay to RF are conflicting. Thus, follow-up research is necessary.
Updated 11/28/01