Epidemiological study (observational study)

Risk of brain tumours in relation to estimated RF dose from mobile phones: results from five Interphone countries epidem.

By: Cardis E, Armstrong BK, Bowman JD, Giles GG, Hours M, Krewski D, McBride M, Parent ME, Sadetzki S, Woodward A, Brown J, Chetrit A, Figuerola J, Hoffmann C, Jarus-Hakak A, Montestruq L, Nadon L, Richardson L, Villegas R, Vrijheid M

Published in: Occup Environ Med 2011; 68 (9): 631-640

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Aim of study (acc. to author)

The aim of the study was to investigate the associations of brain tumours with radio frequency fields from mobile phones.

Further details

The analysis was based on data from five countries (Australia, Canada, France, Israel and New Zealand) within the Interphone Study. Additionally to the case-control analysis, a complementary case-case analysis was performed in which 44 glioma and 135 meningioma cases in the most exposed area of the brain were compared with gliomas and meningiomas located elsewhere in the brain.
Exposure was estimated as total cumulative specific energy (TCSE; J/kg) absorbed at the tumour's estimated centre. An algorithm was developed to estimate the dose taking into account multiple exposure determinants, e.g., frequency band, communication system, amount and duration of mobile phone use (for more details see Cardis et al, 2011) .

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor: glioma and meningioma

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

- CDMA
- mobile communications
- digital mobile phone
- GSM
- D-AMPS
- 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, mobile phone operator
calculation

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	non regular user
Group 2	regular user
Reference group 3	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: never regular user
Group 4	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: < 13 h
Group 5	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: 13.0 - 60.9 h
Group 6	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: 61.0 - 199.9 h
Group 7	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: 200 - 734.9 h
Group 8	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: ≥ 735 h
Reference group 9	total cumulative specific energy: never regular user
Group 10	total cumulative specific energy: < 76.7 J/kg
Group 11	total cumulative specific energy: 76.7 - < 284.1 J/kg
Group 12	total cumulative specific energy: 284.1 - < 987.9 J/kg
Group 13	total cumulative specific energy: 987.9 - < 3123.9 J/kg
Group 14	total cumulative specific energy: ≥ 3123.9 J/kg
Reference group 15	time before diagnosis < 3 years, total cumulative specific energy: never regular user
Group 16	time before diagnosis < 3 years, total cumulative specific energy: < 76.7 J/kg
Group 17	time before diagnosis < 3 years, total cumulative specific energy: 76.7 - < 284.1 J/kg
Group 18	time before diagnosis < 3 years, total cumulative specific energy: 284.1 - < 987.9 J/kg
Group 19	time before diagnosis < 3 years, total cumulative specific energy: 987.9 - < 3123.9 J/kg
Group 20	time before diagnosis < 3 years, total cumulative specific energy: ≥ 3123.9 J/kg
Reference group 21	time before diagnosis 3 - 6 years, total cumulative specific energy: never regular user
Group 22	time before diagnosis 3 - 6 years, total cumulative specific energy: < 76.7 J/kg
Group 23	time before diagnosis 3 - 6 years, total cumulative specific energy: 76.7 - < 284.1 J/kg
Group 24	time before diagnosis 3 - 6 years, total cumulative specific energy: 284.1 - < 987.9 J/kg
Group 25	time before diagnosis 3 - 6 years, total cumulative specific energy: 987.9 - < 3123.9 J/kg
Group 26	time before diagnosis 3 - 6 years, total cumulative specific energy: ≥ 3123.9 J/kg
Reference group 27	time before diagnosis ≥ 7 years, total cumulative specific energy: never regular user
Group 28	time before diagnosis ≥ 7 years, total cumulative specific energy: < 76.7 J/kg
Group 29	time before diagnosis ≥ 7 years, total cumulative specific energy: 76.7 - < 284.1 J/kg
Group 30	time before diagnosis ≥ 7 years, total cumulative specific energy: 284.1 - < 987.9 J/kg
Group 31	time before diagnosis ≥ 7 years, total cumulative specific energy: 987.9 - < 3123.9 J/kg
Group 32	time before diagnosis ≥ 7 years, total cumulative specific energy: ≥ 3123.9 J/kg
Reference group 33	time since start of use: non-reular user
Group 34	time since start of use: 1 - 4 years
Group 35	time since start of use: 5 - 9 years
Group 36	time since start of use:≥ 10 years
Reference group 37	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: non regular user
Group 38	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: < 39 h
Group 39	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: 39 - 219 h
Group 40	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: 220 - 519 h
Group 41	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: 520 - 1146 h
Group 42	cumulative call time without hands-free devices: ≥ 1147 h

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 30–59 years
Observation period: 2000 - 2004
Study location: Australia, Canada, France, Israel and New Zealand

Case group

Characteristics: glioma or meningioma, histologically confirmed or based on unequivocal diagnostic imaging

Control group

Selection:
- population-based
Matching:
- sex
- age
- area
- tumor location of the matched case

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Eligible	2,511	4,383
Participants	1,724	2,565
Evaluable	1,229	1,911

Other:

553 glioma and 676 meningioma cases available for analysis

Statistical analysis method:

unconditional logistic regression

(adjustment:

age
sex
residential area
education
timing of interview

)

Results (acc. to author)

Overall, a reduced risk related to ever having been a regular mobile phone user was observed for the brain tumors glioma (OR 0.92; CI 0.75-1.13) and meningioma (OR 0.80; CI 0.66-0.96). In the highest exposure group, an increased risk for glioma was found (OR 1.35; CI 0.96-1.90). The odds ratio increased increasing total cumulative specific energy and time before diagnosis 7 years and more (OR 1.91; CI 1.05-3.47 in the highest exposure group). The complementary case-case analysis showed an increased risk for tumors in the most exposed part of the brain in those with 10 and more years of mobile phone use (OR 2.80; CI 1.13-6.94 for glioma). The results for meningioma were similar, but risk estimates were lower, many below 1.0.
The authors concluded that there were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma in long-term mobile phone users with high radiofrequency exposure and of similar, but apparently much smaller, increases in meningioma risk. The uncertainty of these results requires that they have be replicated before a causal interpretation can be made.

Study funded by

Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC), France
Bouygues Telecom, France
Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS; Federal Office for Radiation Protection), Salzgitter, Germany
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
European Union (EU)/European Commission
Fondation Santé et Radiofréquences, France
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 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
Mobile Manufacturers Forum (MMF), Belgium
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australia
Orange
SFR, France
University of Sydney, Australia

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