Epidemiological study (observational study)

Cellular and cordless telephone use and the association with brain tumors in different age groups epidem.

By: Hardell L, Hansson Mild K, Carlberg M, Hallquist A

Published in: Arch Environ Health 2004; 59 (3): 132-137

Aim of study (acc. to author)

In this study, further analyses on the database of a Swedish case-control study (see publication 9105) were performed on the use of cellular telephones and cordless telephones and the risk of brain tumors.

Further details

Furthermore, there are additional analyses of the database of the same case-control study (publication 9105) in publications 9520, 9361 and 11953.
Subjects who started their use of a mobile phone or cordless phone within one year prior diagnosis were classified as unexposed.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

- mobile communications
- analog mobile phone
- digital mobile phone
- GSM
- NMT
- cordless phone
- personal

Assessment

questionnaire: type of phone, years of use, mean number and minutes of daily calls, use in car with fixed external antenna or hands-free device, ear most frequently used during calls
interview: supplementing data
calculation: cumulative use in hours for all years

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	unexposed
Group 2	analog, all ages, > 1 year latency
Group 3	analog, 20 - 29 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 4	analog, 30 - 39 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 5	analog, 40 - 49 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 6	analog, 50 - 59 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 7	analog, 60 - 69 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 8	analog, 70 - 80 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 9	analog, all ages, > 5 years latency
Group 10	analog, 20 - 29 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 11	analog, 30 - 39 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 12	analog, 40 - 49 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 13	analog, 50 - 59 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 14	analog, 60 - 69 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 15	analog, 70 - 80 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 16	analog, all ages, > 10 years latency
Group 17	analog, 20 - 29 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 18	analog, 30 - 39 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 19	analog, 40 - 49 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 20	analog, 50 - 59 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 21	analog, 60 - 69 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 22	analog, 70 - 80 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 23	digital, all ages, > 1 year latency
Group 24	digital, 20 - 29 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 25	digital, 30 - 39 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 26	digital, 40 - 49 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 27	digital, 50 - 59 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 28	digital, 60 - 69 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 29	digital, 70 - 80 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 30	digital, all ages, > 5 years latency
Group 31	digital, 20 - 29 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 32	digital, 30 - 39 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 33	digital, 40 - 49 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 34	digital, 50 - 59 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 35	digital, 60 - 69 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 36	digital, 70 - 80 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 37	cordless, all ages, > 1 year latency
Group 38	cordless, 20 - 29 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 39	cordless, 30 - 39 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 40	cordless, 40 - 49 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 41	cordless, 50 - 59 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 42	cordless, 60 - 69 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 43	cordless, 70 - 80 years old, > 1 year latency
Group 44	cordless, all ages, > 5 years latency
Group 45	cordless, 20 - 29 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 46	cordless, 30 - 39 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 47	cordless, 40 - 49 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 48	cordless, 50 - 59 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 49	cordless, 60 - 69 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 50	cordless, 70 - 80 years old, > 5 years latency
Group 51	cordless, all ages, > 10 years latency
Group 52	cordless, 20 - 29 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 53	cordless, 30 - 39 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 54	cordless, 40 - 49 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 55	cordless, 50 - 59 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 56	cordless, 60 - 69 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 57	cordless, 70 - 80 years old, > 10 years latency
Group 58	analog, all ages, ipsilateral
Group 59	analog, all ages, contralateral
Group 60	analog, all ages, ipsi/contralateral
Group 61	digital, all ages, ipsilateral
Group 62	digital, all ages, contralateral
Group 63	digital, all ages, ipsi/contralateral
Group 64	cordless, all ages, ipsilateral
Group 65	cordless, all ages, contralateral
Group 66	cordless, all ages, ipsi/contralateral

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 20–80 years
Observation period: January 1997 - June 2000
Study location: Sweden (Uppsala/Örebro, Stockholm, Linköping and Göteborg regions)

Case group

Characteristics: brain tumor
Data source: Cancer Registry
Exclusion criteria: deceased

Control group

Selection:
- population-based
Matching:
- sex
- age
- area
- case:control = 1:1

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Eligible	1,617	1,617
Participants	1,429	1,470
Participation rate	88 %	91 %

Statistical analysis method:

unconditional logistic regression

(adjustment:

age
sex
socioeconomic status

)

Results (acc. to author)

A statistically significant increased risk for brain tumors among users of analog cellular telephones, especially for ipsilateral use. For cordless phones a statistically significant increased risk for brain tumor was observed in 20-29-years age group.

Limitations (acc. to author)

The results for more than 10-years latency period are based on low numbers.

Study funded by

Cancer och Allergifonden (Cancer and Allergy Foundation), Sweden
Swedish Work Environment Fund
Telia, Sweden

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