Epidemiological study (observational study)

Case-control study of the association between malignant brain tumours diagnosed between 2007 and 2009 and mobile and cordless phone use epidem.

By: Hardell L, Carlberg M, Söderqvist F, Hansson Mild K

Published in: Int J Oncol 2013; 43 (6): 1833-1845

Aim of study (acc. to author)

A case-control study was conducted in Sweden to investigate the association between malignant brain tumors and the use of mobile phones and cordless phones.

Further details

The results of this case-control study for meningioma are published in Carlberg et al (2013).
The unexposed group was defined as following: no use of mobile phone or cordless phone or less than 1 year between first use and year of diagnosis or cumulative use less than 39 hours.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

brain tumor: malignant brain tumors (different types of glioma: astrocytoma, medulloblastoma, oligodendroglioma, ependymoma, and other malignant brain tumors)

Type of risk estimation:

incidence

(odds ratio (OR))

Exposure

- mobile communications
- mobile phone
- analog mobile phone
- digital mobile phone
- GSM
- UMTS
- NMT
- DECT
- cordless phone
- personal

Assessment

questionnaire: use of wireless phones (mobile phones and cordless phones), ear most frequently used during calling

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Reference group 1	unexposed
Group 2	analog mobile phone > 1 year latency period
Group 3	analog mobile phone > 1- to 5-year latency period
Group 4	analog mobile phone > 5- to 10-year latency period
Group 5	analog mobile phone > 10- to 15-year latency period
Group 6	analog mobile phone > 15- to 20-year latency period
Group 7	analog mobile phone > 20- to 25 -year latency period
Group 8	analog mobile phone > 25-year latency period
Group 9	digital (2G) mobile phone > 1 year latency period
Group 10	digital (2G) mobile phone > 1- to 5-year latency period
Group 11	digital (2G) mobile phone > 5- to 10-year latency period
Group 12	digital (2G) mobile phone > 10- to 15-year latency period
Group 13	digital (2G) mobile phone > 15- to 20-year latency period
Group 14	digital (2G) mobile phone > 20- to 25 -year latency period
Group 15	digital (2G) mobile phone > 25-year latency period
Group 16	digital (3G) mobile phone > 1 year latency period
Group 17	digital (3G) mobile phone > 1- to 5-year latency period
Group 18	digital (3G) mobile phone > 5- to 10-year latency period
Group 19	digital (3G) mobile phone > 10- to 15-year latency period
Group 20	digital (3G) mobile phone > 15- to 20-year latency period
Group 21	digital (3G) mobile phone > 20- to 25 -year latency period
Group 22	digital (3G) mobile phone > 25-year latency period
Group 23	mobile phone > 1 year latency period
Group 24	mobile phone > 1- to 5-year latency period
Group 25	mobile phone > 5- to 10-year latency period
Group 26	mobile phone > 10- to 15-year latency period
Group 27	mobile phone > 15- to 20-year latency period
Group 28	mobile phone > 20- to 25 -year latency period
Group 29	mobile phone > 25-year latency period
Group 30	cordless phone > 1 year latency period
Group 31	cordless phone > 1- to 5-year latency period
Group 32	cordless phone > 5- to 10-year latency period
Group 33	cordless phone > 10- to 15-year latency period
Group 34	cordless phone > 15- to 20-year latency period
Group 35	cordless phone > 20- to 25 -year latency period
Group 36	cordless phone > 25-year latency period
Group 37	digital phone (2G, 3G and/or cordless phone) > 1 year latency period
Group 38	digital phone (2G, 3G and/or cordless phone) > 1- to 5-year latency period
Group 39	digital phone (2G, 3G and/or cordless phone) > 5- to 10-year latency period
Group 40	digital phone (2G, 3G and/or cordless phone) > 10- to 15-year latency period
Group 41	digital phone (2G, 3G and/or cordless phone) > 15- to 20-year latency period
Group 42	digital phone (2G, 3G and/or cordless phone) > 20- to 25 -year latency period
Group 43	digital phone (2G, 3G and/or cordless phone) > 25-year latency period
Group 44	wireless phone > 1 year latency period
Group 45	wireless phone > 1- to 5-year latency period
Group 46	wireless phone > 5- to 10-year latency period
Group 47	wireless phone > 10- to 15-year latency period
Group 48	wireless phone > 15- to 20-year latency period
Group 49	wireless phone > 20- to 25 -year latency period
Group 50	wireless phone > 25-year latency period

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 18–75 years
Observation period: 2007 - 2009
Study location: Sweden

Case group

Characteristics: brain tumor, histopathologically verified
Data source: Swedish Cancer Registry

Control group

Selection:
- population-based
Matching:
- sex
- area
- 5-year age group

Study size

	Cases	Controls
Eligible	1,334	1,601
Contacted	683	-
Participants	593	1,368
Participation rate	87 %	85 %

Statistical analysis method:

unconditional logistic regression

(adjustment:

5-year age group
sex
socioeconomic status
year of diagnosis

)

Results (acc. to author)

An increased risk for malignant brain tumors was observed for mobile phone use of the analogue type (OR 1.8, CI 1.04-3.3), increasing with >25 years of latency (OR 3.3, CI 1.6-6.9). Increased risks were found for digital 2G mobile phone use (OR 1.6, CI 0.996-2.7), increasing with latency >15-20 years (OR 2.1, CI 1.2-3.6) and for cordless phone use (OR 1.7, CI 1.1-2.9; latency >15-20 years: OR 2.1, CI 1.2-3.8). Use of digital mobile phones and cordless phones gave increased risk with latency >1-5 years, then a lower risk in the following latency groups, but again increasing risk with latency >15-20 years. Ipsilateral use resulted in a higher risk than contralateral mobile phone and cordless phone use. Higher odds ratios were calculated for brain tumors in the temporal and overlapping lobes.
The authors concluded that this study confirmed previous results of an association between malignant brain tumors and the use of mobile phones and cordless phones. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that RF-EMFs play a role both in the initiation and promotion stages of carcinogenesis.

Study funded by

Cancer och Allergifonden (Cancer and Allergy Foundation), Sweden
Cancerhjälpen (Cancerhelp), Sweden
gigaherz.ch (Schweizerische Interessengemeinschaft Elektrosmog-Betroffener), Switzerland
Örebro University Hospital Cancer Fund, Sweden
Pandora Foundation, Germany

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