Epidemiological study (observational study)

Mobile phone use, exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic field, and brain tumour: a case-control study epidem.

By: Takebayashi T, Varsier N, Kikuchi Y, Wake K, Taki M, Watanabe S, Akiba S, Yamaguchi N

Published in: Br J Cancer 2008; 98 (3): 652-659

Aim of study (acc. to author)

The relation between mobile phone use and brain tumor was investigated in a population-based case-control study in Japan. The study is part of the INTERPHONE project.

Further details

Regular mobile phone use was defined as use at least once a week for 6 months one year before diagnosis. Exposure was assessed by following the protocol of the INTERPHONE study using a questionnaire. Furthermore, a new approach was used for estimating the specific absorption rate (SAR) inside the tumor based on a head model taking account of spatial relationships between tumor localisation and intracranial radiofrequency distribution (Nagaoka et al, 2004). Three SAR-derived exposure indices (mean maximal SAR, cumulative maximal SAR-year, and cumulative maximal SAR-hour) were calculated and categorized in four quartiles.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor: glioma, meningioma, pituitary adenoma

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

- mobile communications
- analog mobile phone
- digital mobile phone
- PDC
- PHS
- cordless phone
- personal

Assessment

questionnaire: start and stop dates for each mobile phone used, avarage duration and frequency of calls, use of cordless telephone (PHS)
calculation: cumulative lenght of use, cumulative call time

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	mobile phone use: non-user
Group 2	mobile phone use: regular user
Reference group 3	cumulative length of use in years: non-user
Group 4	cumulative length of use in years: lowest
Group 5	cumulative length of use in years: mid-low
Group 6	cumulative length of use in years: mid-high
Group 7	cumulative length of use in years: highest
Reference group 8	cumulative call time in hours: non-user
Group 9	cumulative call time in hours: lowest
Group 10	cumulative call time in hours: mid-low
Group 11	cumulative call time in hours: mid-high
Group 12	cumulative call time in hours: highest
Reference group 13	type of mobile phone used: non-user
Group 14	type of mobile phone used: analog and digital
Group 15	type of mobile phone used: digital
Reference group 16	tumor laterality and side of mobile phone use: no or contralateral use
Group 17	tumor laterality and side of mobile phone use: ipsilateral
Reference group 18	tumor laterality and side of mobile phone use: no or ipsilateral use
Group 19	tumor laterality and side of mobile phone use: contralateral
Reference group 20	mean maximal SAR: non-exposed
Group 21	mean maximal SAR: lowest
Group 22	mean maximal SAR: mid-low
Group 23	mean maximal SAR: mid-high
Group 24	mean maximal SAR: highest
Reference group 25	mean maximal SAR: non-exposed
Group 26	mean maximal SAR: < 0.001 W/kg
Group 27	mean maximal SAR: 0.001 - 0.01 W/kg
Group 28	mean maximal SAR: ≥ 0.01 W/kg
Reference group 29	cumulative maximal SAR-year: non-exposed
Group 30	cumulative maximal SAR-year: lowest
Group 31	cumulative maximal SAR-year: mid-low
Group 32	cumulative maximal SAR-year: mid-high
Group 33	cumulative maximal SAR-year: highest
Reference group 34	cumulative maximal SAR-year: non-exposed
Group 35	cumulative maximal SAR-year: < 0.001 W/kg
Group 36	cumulative maximal SAR-year: 0.001 - 0.01 W/kg
Group 37	cumulative maximal SAR-year: 0.01 - 0.1 W/kg
Group 38	cumulative maximal SAR-year: ≥ 0.1 W/kg
Reference group 39	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: non-exposed
Group 40	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: lowest
Group 41	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: mid-low
Group 42	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: mid-high
Group 43	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: highest
Reference group 44	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: non-exposed
Group 45	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: < 0.1 W/kg
Group 46	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: 0.1 - 1 W/kg
Group 47	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: 1 - 10 W/kg
Group 48	cumulative maximal SAR-hour: ≥ 10 W/kg

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 30–69 years
Observation period: December 2000 - November 2004
Study location: Japan (Tokyo)

Case group

Characteristics: glioma, meningioma or pituitary adenoma, histopathologically verified
Data source: neurosurgery departments of hospitals in Tokyo

Control group

Selection:
- population-based
Matching:
- sex
- area
- 5-years age group

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Eligible	455	1,122
Participants	322	683

Other:

glioma: 88 cases; meningioma: 132 cases; pituitary adenoma: 102 cases

Statistical analysis method:

conditional logistic regression

(adjustment:

age
sex
educational level, marital status

)

Results (acc. to author)

No consistent increase was observed in the overall risk of glioma, meningioma and pituitary adenoma among mobile phone users. No increasing trend in risk in relation to cumulative length of use or cumulative call time was foung. The results of the SAR-derived exposure indices also showed no substantial increased risk for glioma or meningioma.

Study funded by

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan

Comments on this article

Hocking B (2008): Japanese mobile phone study

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