Epidemiological study (observational study)

Location of Gliomas in Relation to Mobile Telephone Use: A Case-Case and Case-Specular Analysis epidem.

By: Larjavaara S, Schüz J, Swerdlow A, Feychting M, Johansen C, Lagorio S, Tynes T, Klaeboe L, Tonjer SR, Blettner M, Berg-Beckhoff G, Schlehofer B, Schoemaker M, Britton J, Mäntylä R, Lönn S, Ahlbom A, Flodmark O, Lilja A, Martini S, Rastelli E, Vidiri A, Kähärä V, Raitanen J, Heinävaara S, Auvinen A

Published in: Am J Epidemiol 2011; 174 (1): 2-11

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Aim of study (acc. to author)

The aim of the current analysis was to investigate whether gliomas among mobile phone users are located closer to the presumed position of the mobile phone handset (the source of the radiofrequency field) than gliomas among nonusers.

Further details

The analysis was based on data from 7 European study centers (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Southeast England) within the Interphone Study.
Two types of analyses were used to evaluate the anatomic distribution of gliomas within the brain in relation to mobile phone use. The main exposure indicator in the analyses was the shortest estimated distance from the midpoint of the glioma to the presumed position of the mobile phone handset. The case-case analysis was based on comparing exposed and unexposed cases using the distance of ≤ 5 cm versus > 5 cm. A case-specular analysis contrasted the actual location of the case with a hypothetical (specular) location assigned for each case as a mirror image on the opposite side of the same hemisphere.
Regular use of a mobile phone was defined as at least once a week for at least six months.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor

Exposure

- mobile communications
- mobile phone

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

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	never regular use
Group 2	regular use
Group 3	cumulative call time: 0.001 - 46 hours
Group 4	cumulative call time: 47 - 399 hours
Group 5	cumulative call time: > 399 hours
Group 6	duration of use: 1.5 - 4 years
Group 7	duration of use: 5 - 9 years
Group 8	duration of use: ≥ 10 years
Group 9	laterality: ipsilateral
Group 10	laterality: contralateral
Group 11	speculars: ipsilateral
Group 12	speculars: contralateral

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 18–69 years
Characteristics: glioma with tumor midpoint defined in 3 dimensions by reuroradiologists on the basis of computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging
Observation period: September 2000 - January 2004
Study location: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and Southeast England
Exclusion criteria: prior diagnosis of brain tumor

Study size

Type	Value
Eligible	912

Statistical analysis method:

unconditional logistic regression
conditional logistic regression

(adjustment:

age
sex
education
country

)

Results (acc. to author)

In the case-case analysis, gliomas were located closest to the source of exposure among never-regular and contralateral mobile phone users, but not statistically significantly. In the case-specular analysis, the mean distances between exposure source and glioma location were similar for cases and speculars.
The authors conclude that these results do not suggest that gliomas in mobile phone users are preferentially located in the parts of the brain with the highest radio-frequency fields from mobile phones.

Study funded by

Academy of Finland
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
International Union against Cancer (UICC; Union Internationale Contre le Cancer), Switzerland
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
Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF), Belgium
Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR), UK
National Health Service (NHS), UK
Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources program of European Union
Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden)
Swedish Research Council (VR)

Grell K et al. (2016): The Intracranial Distribution of Gliomas in Relation to Exposure From Mobile Phones: Analyses From the INTERPHONE Study
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