Study type: Epidemiological study (observational study)

Cellular telephones and non-Hodgkin lymphoma epidem.

Published in: Int J Cancer 2006; 119 (10): 2382-2388

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The relation between use of cellular telephones and the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was investigated in a population-based, multicenter case-control study in the USA.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

Type of risk estimation: (odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

Assessment

Exposure groups

Group Description
Reference group 1 lifetime usage of cell phone: never
Group 2 lifetime usage of cell phone: ever
Group 3 lifetime usage of cell phone: < 10 times
Group 4 lifetime usage of cell phone: 10-100 times
Group 5 lifetime usage of cell phone: > 100 times
Group 6 total years of use over lifetime: 1 - 2 years
Group 7 total years of use over lifetime: 3 - 5 years
Group 8 total years of use over lifetime: 6 - 8 years
Group 9 total years of use over lifetime: > 8 years
Group 10 average number of minutes per week of use: 1 - 20 min
Group 11 average number of minutes per week of use: 21 - 60 min
Group 12 average number of minutes per week of use: > 60 min
Group 13 cumulative lifetime hours of use: ≤ 78 hours
Group 14 cumulative lifetime hours of use: 79 - 208 hours
Group 15 cumulative lifetime hours of use: > 209 hours
Group 16 years of first use: 1984 - 1994
Group 17 years of first use: 1995 - 1996
Group 18 years of first use: 1997 +

Population

Case group

Control group

Study size

Cases Controls
Eligible 905 978
Participants 551 462
Participation rate 79 % 55 %
Statistical analysis method: (adjustment: )

Results (acc. to author)

Less than 5 % of the participants reported duration of use of cellular telephones of six or more years or lifetime cumulative use of 200 or more hours.
No relationship between minutes of weekly or cumulative hours of lifetime use of cellular telephones and the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was found. A non-significant increase in risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma among men who reported using cellular phones for 8 or more years was observed (based on 7 cases).

Study funded by

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