Epidemiological study (observational study)

On the association between glioma, wireless phones, heredity and ionising radiation epidem.

By: Carlberg M, Hardell L

Published in: Pathophysiology 2012; 19 (4): 243-252

Aim of study (acc. to author)

An overview of the pooled analysis by Hardell et al. (2011) on the association of malignant brain tumors and the use of mobile and cordless phones is given; the focus is on glioma and laterality. Furthermore, the established risk factors heredity and ionizing radiation as well as interaction with use of wireless phones are evaluated.

Further details

Following studies were included in the pooled-analysis by Hardell et al (2011) including all alive and deceased cases between 1997-2003: The first case-control study regarding the period 1997-2000 was published in the publications 9520 and 9895, the second study regarding the period 2000-2003 in publications 12068 and 12259, and the third study regarding deceased cases and controls in the period 1997-2003 in publication 18358.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor: glioma

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

- also other exposures without EMF
- mobile communications
- analog mobile phone
- digital mobile phone
- cordless phone
- personal

Assessment

questionnaire: use of mobile phone and cordless phone, first year of use, type of phone, mean minutes of daily use

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	unexposed: no mobile or cordless phone use or less than 1 year
Group 2	mobile + cordless phone use, > 1 to 5 years
Group 3	mobile + cordless phone use, > 5 to 10 years
Group 4	mobile + cordless phone use, > 10 years
Group 5	mobile + cordless phone use, total, > 1 year
Group 6	mobile phone use, > 1 to 5 years
Group 7	mobile phone use, > 5 to 10 years
Group 8	mobile phone use, > 5 to 10 years
Group 9	mobile phone use, total, > 1 year
Group 10	cordless phone use, > 1 to 5 years
Group 11	cordless phone use, > 5 to 10 years
Group 12	cordless phone use, > 10 years
Group 13	cordless phone use, total, > 1 year
Group 14	mobile + cordless phone use, first tercile: 1 - 91 h
Group 15	mobile + cordless phone use, second tercile: 92 - 426 h
Group 16	mobile + cordless phone use, third tercile: > 426 h
Group 17	mobile + cordless phone use, per 100 h cumulative use
Group 18	mobile + cordless phone use, per year of use
Group 19	mobile phone use, first tercile: 1 - 36 h
Group 20	mobile phone use, second tercile: 37 - 183 h
Group 21	mobile phone use, third tercile: > 183 h
Group 22	mobile phone use, per 100 h cumulative use
Group 23	mobile phone use, per year of use
Group 24	cordless phone use, first tercile: 1 - 122 h
Group 25	cordless phone use, second tercile: 123 - 456 h
Group 26	cordless phone use, third tercile: > 456 h
Group 27	cordless phone use, per 100 h cumulative use
Group 28	cordless phone use, per year of use
Group 29	mobile + cordless phone use, first use < 20 years old
Group 30	mobile + cordless phone use, first use 20 - 49 years old
Group 31	mobile + cordless phone use, first use ≥ 50 years old
Group 32	mobile phone use, first use < 20 years old
Group 33	mobile phone use, first use 20 - 49 years old
Group 34	mobile phone use, first use ≥ 50 years old
Group 35	cordless phone use, first use < 20 years old
Group 36	cordless phone use, first use 20 - 49 years old
Group 37	cordless phone use, first use ≥ 50 years old

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 20–80 years
Observation period: 1997 - 2003
Study location: Sweden (Uppsala/Örebro and Linköping medical regions 1997-2003, Stockholm and Gothenburg regions 1997-2000)

Case group

Characteristics: glioma, histopathologically verified
Data source: cancer registry

Control group

group 1: living person, group 2: died from other types of malignant diseases than brain tumor, group 3: died from other diseases than cancer
Selection:
- population-based
- registry-based
Matching:
- sex
- age
- year of death

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Eligible	1,472	2,900
Participants	1,251	2,438
Participation rate	85 %	84 %

Other:

1184 out of 1251 cases of malignant brain tumors were gliomas

Statistical analysis method:

unconditional logistic regression

(adjustment:

age
sex
socioeconomic status
year of diagnosis, vital status (alive or deceased)

)

Results (acc. to author)

An increased risk for glioma and ipsilateral use of mobile phone was observed (OR 2.9, CI 1.8-4.7) in the >10 years latency group and corresponding for cordless phone use (OR 3.8, CI 1.8-8.1). For high-grade glioma (astrocytoma), an increased risk was found for ipsilateral use of mobile phone (OR 3.9, CI 2.3-6.6) and cordless phone (OR 5.5, CI 2.3-13) in the >10 years latency group. No interaction between X-ray investigation of the head as well as heredity risk factors and use of wireless phones was found.
Concordantly with the previous publication the authors concluded that the risk for glioma increased with latency time and cumulative use of mobile phones and cordless phones in hours and was highest in subjects with first use before the age of 20.

Study funded by

Cancer och Allergifonden (Cancer and Allergy Foundation), Sweden
Örebro University Hospital Cancer Fund, Sweden

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