Epidemiological study (observational study)

Use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumours: update of Danish cohort study epidem.

By: Frei P, Poulsen AH, Johansen C, Olsen JH, Steding-Jessen M, Schüz J

Published in: BMJ 2011; 343: d6387

Aim of study (acc. to author)

A follow-up of a nationwide cohort was performed to investigate the risk of brain tumors among Danish mobile telephone subscribers from 1990 through 2007.

Further details

Further results of this Danish cohort study are published in Johansen et al (2001), Schüz et al (2006), and Schüz et al (2011).
To obtain information on highest attained education and disposable income, the data were linked to a cohort study on social inequality and cancer.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor: glioma, meningioma, other/unspecified brain tumor
cancers related to smoking
all cancer

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(incidence rate ratio)

Exposure

- mobile communications
- mobile phone

Assessment

list: mobile phone subscribers of two Danish network operators 1987 - 1995

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	non-subscribers
Group 2	subscribers
Group 3	subscribers: 1 - 4 years of subscription
Group 4	subscribers: 5 - 9 years of subscription
Group 5	subscribers: ≥ 10 years of subscription
Group 6	subscribers: 10 - 12 years of subscription
Group 7	subscribers: ≥ 13 years of subscription

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: ≥ 30 years
Characteristics: Danes born after 1925 in Denmark
Observation period: 1990 - 2007
Study location: Denmark
Data source: Danish Cancer Registry
Exclusion criteria: corporate customers, no permanent residence in Denmark

Study size

Type	Value
Total	358,403

Other:

3.8 million person years, male subscribers providing 3.2 million person years

Statistical analysis method:

Poisson regression model

(adjustment:

age
education
calendar period, disposable income

)

Results (acc. to author)

No overall increased risk of brain tumors or for all cancers combined associated with use of mobile phones was observed. No dose-response relation was found with regard to years of subscription or to the anatomical site of the glioma.
The authors concluded that in this update of a large nationwide cohort study of mobile phone use, there was no increased risk of brain tumors, providing little evidence for a causal association.

Limitations (acc. to author)

The authors noted that a limitation of the study is potential misclassification of exposure. No information on the actual amount of mobile phone use was available.

Study funded by

Danish Graduate School Network in Public Health Science (GRASPH), Denmark
Danish Strategic Research Council, Denmark
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)

Comments on this article

Söderqvist F et al. (2012): Review of four publications on the Danish cohort study on mobile phone subscribers and risk of brain tumors
Ahlbom A et al. (2011): Mobile telephones and brain tumours
Philips A et al. (2011): Updated study contains poor science and should be disregarded
Khurana VG (2011): Questions about selection, exposure, and tumour incidence
Frei P et al. (2011): Mobile phones and brain tumours: Authors' reply to Khurana and to Philips and Lamburn

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