Epidemiological study (observational study)

Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case-control study epidem.

By: INTERPHONE Study Group, Cardis E, Deltour I, Vrijheid M, Combalot E, Moissonnier M, Tardy H, Armstrong B, Giles G, Brown J, Siemiatycki J, Parent ME, Nadon L, Krewski D, McBride ML, Johansen C, Collatz Christensen H, Auvinen A, Kurttio P, Lahkola A, Salminen T, Hours M, Bernard M, Montestruq L, Schüz J, Berg-Beckhoff G, Schlehofer B, Blettner M, Sadetzki S, Chetrit A, Jarus-Hakak A, Lagorio S, Iavarone I, Takebayashi T, Yamaguchi N, Woodward A, Cook A, Pearce N, Tynes T, Blaasaas KG, Klaeboe L, Feychting M, Lönn S, Ahlbom A, McKinney PA, Hepworth SJ, Muir KR, Swerdlow AJ, Schoemaker MJ

Published in: Int J Epidemiol 2010; 39 (3): 675-694

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Aim of study (acc. to author)

An international case-control study (INTERPHONE) was conducted in 13 countries to determine whether mobile phone use increases the risk of brain tumors.

Further details

The INTERPHONE study was initiated as an international set of case-control studies conducted in 13 countries ( Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK) focussing on four types of tumors (glioma, meningioma, acoustic neurinoma, and parotid gland tumor) in tissues that most absorb radiofrequency energy emitted by mobile phones. In the present publication the results of the analyses of brain tumor (glioma and meningioma) risk are presented.
Sensitivity analyses were performed to detect potential sources for bias.
Regular use of a mobile phone was defined as at least once a week for at least six months.
Final report Link

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor: glioma and meningioma

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

- mobile communications
- analog mobile phone
- digital mobile phone
- personal

Assessment

questionnaire: mobile phone use, including start and end dates of use, frequency and laterality of use, type of phone, use of hands-free devices, and other factors, such as type of telephone network
interview: face-to-face interview with the study subject or a proxy or telephone interview
calculation: lifetime cumulative numbers of hours of phone use and numbers of calls

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	never or nonregular use in the past ≥ 1 year
Group 2	regular use in the past ≥ 1 year
Reference group 3	never regular user
Group 4	time since start of use: 1-1.9 years
Group 5	time since start of use: 2-4 years
Group 6	time since start of use: 5-9 years
Group 7	time since start of use: ≥ 10 years
Reference group 8	never regular user
Group 9	cumulative call time: < 5 h
Group 10	cumulative call time: 5-12.9 h
Group 11	cumulative call time: 13-30.9 h
Group 12	cumulative call time: 31-60.9 h
Group 13	cumulative call time: 61-114.9 h
Group 14	cumulative call time: 115-199.9 h
Group 15	cumulative call time: 200-359.9 h
Group 16	cumulative call time: 360-734.9 h
Group 17	cumulative call time: 735-1639.9 h
Group 18	cumulative call time: ≥ 1640 h
Reference group 19	never regular user
Group 20	cumulative number of calls: < 150
Group 21	cumulative number of calls: 150-349
Group 22	cumulative number of calls: 350-749
Group 23	cumulative number of calls: 750-1,399
Group 24	cumulative number of calls: 1,400-2,549
Group 25	cumulative number of calls: 2,550-4,149
Group 26	cumulative number of calls: 4,150-6,799
Group 27	cumulative number of calls: 6,800-12,799
Group 28	cumulative number of calls: 12,800-26,999
Group 29	cumulative number of calls: ≥ 27,000
Reference group 30	no ipsilateral mobile phone use in the past ≥ 1 year
Group 31	ipsilateral mobile phone use in the past ≥ 1 year
Reference group 32	no regular user
Group 33	ipsilateral use, time since start of use: 1-1.9 years
Group 34	ipsilateral use, time since start of use: 2-4 years
Group 35	ipsilateral use, time since start of use: 5-9 years
Group 36	ipsilateral use, time since start of use: ≥ 10 years
Reference group 37	no regular user
Group 38	ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: < 5 h
Group 39	ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: 5-114.9 h
Group 40	ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: 115-359.9 h
Group 41	ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: 360-1639.9 h
Group 42	ipsilateral use, cumulative call time: ≥ 1640 h
Reference group 43	no regular user
Group 44	ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: 150
Group 45	ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: 150-2,549
Group 46	ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: 2,550-6,799
Group 47	ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: 6,800-26,999
Group 48	ipsilateral use, cumulative number of calls: ≥ 27,000
Reference group 49	no regular user
Group 50	contralateral use, time since start of use: 1-1.9 years
Group 51	contralateral use, time since start of use: 2-4 years
Group 52	contralateral use, time since start of use: 5-9 years
Group 53	contralateral use, time since start of use: ≥ 10 years
Reference group 54	no regular user
Group 55	contralateral use, cumulative call time: < 5 h
Group 56	contralateral use, cumulative call time: 5-114.9 h
Group 57	contralateral use, cumulative call time: 115-359.9 h
Group 58	contralateral use, cumulative call time: 360-1639.9 h
Group 59	contralateral use, cumulative call time: ≥ 1640 h
Reference group 60	no regular user
Group 61	contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: 150
Group 62	contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: 150-2,549
Group 63	contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: 2,550-6,799
Group 64	contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: 6,800-26,999
Group 65	contralateral use, cumulative number of calls: ≥ 27,000

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 30–59 years
Observation period: 2000 - 2004
Study location: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the UK

Case group

Characteristics: glioma or meningioma, histologically confirmed or based on unequivocal diagnostic imaging
Data source: neurological and neurosurgical facilities in the study regions

Control group

Selection:
- population-based
Matching:
- sex
- age
- ethnic origin (only in Israel)

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Eligible	7,416	14,354
Participants	5,190	7,658
Evaluable	5,117	5,634

Other:

2409 meningioma cases and 2708 glioma cases

Statistical analysis method:

conditional logistic regression
sensitity analysis (e.g., study center, interview quality, subjects reporting implausible high amounts of mobile phone use)

(adjustment:

educational level

)

Results (acc. to author)

A reduced risk related to ever having been a regular mobile phone user was observed for the brain tumors glioma (OR 0.81; CI 0.70-0.94) and meningioma (OR 0.79; CI 0.68-0.91), possibly reflecting participation bias or other methodological limitations. In the highest exposure group (cumulative call time ≥ 1640 h) an increased risk was observed for glioma (OR 1.40; CI 1.03-1.89) and for meningioma (OR 1.15; CI 0.81-1.62); but there were implausible values reported in this group (e.g., mobile phone use more than 5 h/day). The risk for glioma tended to be greater in the temporal lobe than in other lobes of the brain and greater in subjects reporting usual mobile phone use on the same side of the head as the tumor was located (ipsilateral use) than on the opposite side (contralateral use).
The authors concluded that overall no increase in risk of the brain tumor types glioma and meningioma was observed in association with use of mobile phones. There were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma and much less of meningioma at the highest exposure levels.

Limitations (acc. to author)

Bias and error limit the strength of conclusion and prevent causal interpretation.

Study funded by

3
Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC), France
Australian Research Council (ARC)
Bouygues Telecom, France
Canada Research Chairs (Chaires de Recherche du Canada), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA; Association canadienne des télécommunications sans fil (ACTS)), Canada
Cancer Society of New Zealand
Danish Cancer Society
Deutsches Mobilfunk Forschungsprogramm (DMF; German Mobile Phone Research Programme) at Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS)
Emil Aaltonen Foundation, Finland
European Union (EU)/European Commission
GSM Association, UK/Ireland
Guzzo Environment-Cancer Chair (University of Montréal) in partnership with Cancer Research Society (CRS) undertaken by the Environment-Cancer Fund, Canada
Hawkes Bay Medical Research Foundation (HBMR), New Zealand
Health and Safety Executive, UK
Health Research Council of New Zealand
International Union against Cancer (UICC; Union Internationale Contre le Cancer), Switzerland
Le Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), Canada
MAIFOR Program (Mainzer Forschungsförderungsprogramm) of the University of Mainz, Germany
Ministerium für Umwelt und Naturschutz, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz, Nordrhein-Westfalen (Ministry for the Environment of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia), Germany
Ministerium für Umwelt und Verkehr, Baden-Württemberg (Ministry for the Environment and Traffic of the state of Baden-Württemberg), Germany
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan
Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF), Belgium
Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR), UK
National Health Service (NHS), UK
O2
Orange
Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources program of European Union
Scottish Executive/Scottish Ministers, UK
SFR, France
Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden)
Swedish Research Council (VR)
T-Mobile
University of Sydney, Australia
Vodafone
Waikato Medical Research Foundation (WMRF), New Zealand
Wellington Medical Research Foundation (WMRF), New Zealand

Comments on this article

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