Epidemiological study (observational study)

Decreased Survival of Glioma Patients with Astrocytoma Grade IV (Glioblastoma Multiforme) Associated with Long-Term Use of Mobile and Cordless Phones epidem.

By: Carlberg M, Hardell L

Published in: Int J Environ Res Public Health 2014; 11 (10): 10790-10805

Assessment

questionnaire: type of mobile phone (analog or digital), average minutes of daily use over the years, use in a car with external antenna or a hands-free device; years of use and mean number of minutes per day of cordless phone us

Exposure groups

Group	Description
Group 1	unexposed: no mobile or cordless phone use or less than 1 year
Group 2	mobile phone (analog and digital) use > 1 - 5 years
Group 3	mobile phone use > 5 - 10 years
Group 4	mobile phone use > 10 - 15 years
Group 5	mobile phone use > 15 - 20 years
Group 6	mobile phone use > 20 years
Group 7	cordless phone use > 1 - 5 years
Group 8	cordless phone use > 5 - 10 years
Group 9	cordless phone use > 10 - 15 years
Group 10	cordless phone use > 15 - 20 years
Group 11	cordless phone use > 20 years
Group 12	mobile + cordless phone use > 1 to 5 years
Group 13	mobile + cordless phone use > 5 - 10 years
Group 14	mobile + cordless phone use > 10 - 15 years
Group 15	mobile + cordless phone use > 15 - 20 years
Group 16	mobile + cordless phone use > 20 years
Group 17	mobile phone, cumulative lifetime use: 1 - 122 h
Group 18	mobile phone, cumulative lifetime use: 123 - 496 h
Group 19	mobile phone, cumulative lifetime use: 497 - 1460 h
Group 20	mobile phone, cumulative lifetime use: > 1460 h
Group 21	cordless phone, cumulative lifetime use: 1 - 122 h
Group 22	cordless phone, cumulative lifetime use: 123 - 496 h
Group 23	cordless phone, cumulative lifetime use: 497 - 1460 h
Group 24	cordless phone, cumulative lifetime use: > 1460 h
Group 25	mobile + cordless phone, cumulative lifetime use: 1 - 122 h
Group 26	mobile + cordless phone, cumulative lifetime use: 123 - 496 h
Group 27	mobile + cordless phone, cumulative lifetime use: 497 - 1460 h
Group 28	mobile + cordless phone, cumulative lifetime use: > 1460 h

Population

Group:
- men
- women
Age: 19–80 years
Characteristics: brain tumor, histopathologically verified
Observation period: 1997 - 2003, 2007 - 2009
Study location: Sweden (Uppsala/Örebro and Linköping medical regions 1997-2003, Stockholm and Gothenburg regions 1997-2000, whole country 2007-2009)
Data source: Cancer registry, Swedish population registry

Study size

Type	Value
Eligible	1,678

Statistical analysis method:

Cox proportional regressions analysis
cubic spline analysis

(adjustment:

age
sex
socioeconomic status
year of diagnosis, study (living cases interviewed or next-of-kin interviewed)

)

Results (acc. to author)

Use of mobile and cordless phones in the >20 years latency group (group 28) yielded an increased hazard ratio of 1.7, (CI 1.2-2.3) for decreased survival of glioma. For the survival of the most common glioma type (astrocytoma grade IV, n=926) mobile phone use yielded hazard ratio of 2.0, (CI 1.4-2.9) and cordless phone use a hazard ratio of 3.4, (CI 1.04-11) in the same latency category. The hazard ratio for astrocytoma grade IV increased statistically significant per year of latency for wireless phones, (HR 1.020, CI 1.007-1.033), but not per 100 h cumulative use (HR 1.002, CI 0.999-1.005). No statistically significant increased hazard ratios were observed for other types of glioma.
The authors conclude that the present study strengthens the proposed causal association between use of mobile phones as well as cordless phones and glioma.

Study funded by

Cancer och Allergifonden (Cancer and Allergy Foundation), Sweden
Cancerhjälpen (Cancerhelp), Sweden
Kone Foundation, Finland
Pandora Foundation, Germany

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Decreased Survival of Glioma Patients with Astrocytoma Grade IV (Glioblastoma Multiforme) Associated with Long-Term Use of Mobile and Cordless Phones epidem.

Aim of study (acc. to author)

Endpoint/type of risk estimation