A new review finds no link. between brain cancer and mobile phones.
- A new review by the World Health
Organization finds no evidence that mobile phone use causes brain cancer.
- The review encompasses research from 22
different countries and finds no connection between mobile phone use,
workplace radio frequency electromagnetic field transmission equipment,
cell towers, and brain and pituitary cancers or leukemia in adults or
children.
- The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) had previously rated mobile phones as “possibly carcinogenic”.
Does using a mobile phone increase your risk of
developing brain cancer? A new, expansive review from the World Health
Organization (WHO) of existing research says “no.”
The WHO
review found no correlation between mobile phone use and an increased risk of
gliomas, meningiomas, and acoustic neuromas, nor was there any correlation with
pituitary and salivary cancers or leukemia.
The review is a meta-analysis — or study of studies —
encompassing 63 articles published in 22 countries between 1994 and 2022. Each
of these investigated the health effects of exposure to radio
frequency-electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) transmitted by mobile phones. TVs and
baby monitors also emit RF-EMF, as do many other devices of the modern world.
Mobile phones themselves are actually low-powered
RF-EMF transmitters. They transmit radio waves to their destinations through a
series of fixed antennas — cell towers. These waves are electromagnetic fields.
The review suggests they are benign. They appear incapable of breaking chemical
bonds or causing ionization in our bodies, or damaging our DNA.
Any time a phone is turned on, it is also a receiver
of RF-EMF signals, such as when a call or text is received.
When a phone is turned fully off, it neither transmits
nor receives RF-EMF fields.
The
review also found no evidence that exposure from fixed-site RF-EMF
transmitters, such as broadcasting antennas or cell phone towers, was linked to
childhood leukemia or pediatric brain tumors, allaying concerns for many
parents.
Fixed workplace RF-EMF transmitters were likewise not
associated with an increase in the incidence of gliomas.
The study is published in Environment International.
Are mobile phones
carcinogenic?
The review describes the quality of the conclusions
drawn by the studies it includes as being of low-to-moderate certainty.
First author Ken Karipidis, PhD, assistant director of the Australian Radiation
Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s Health Impact Assessment (ARPANSA) and
associate professor at ARPANSA, explained to Medical News Today:
“[We] reviewed human observational studies, which are
inherently classified as moderate certainty because the exposure is not
controlled as it is in experimental research. While randomized clinical trials
are considered the best form of evidence, it’s not possible to test if
something is carcinogenic on humans. Exposing humans to a potential health
hazard is not ethical.”
Wael Harb, MD,
a board certified hematologist and medical oncologist at MemorialCare Cancer
Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, CA,
who was not involved in the review, noted:
“Even with this limitation, the body of research
consistently pointed toward no significant association between, RF-EMF exposure
and brain cancer.”
Perhaps more significantly, he said, “It’s always
important to acknowledge an inherent uncertainty in science.”
In addition, Karipidis noted that it is key for “the
science to continue.”
“Technology is developing at a rapid pace. With this
development comes the use of radio waves in different ways using different
frequencies. It is therefore essential that science continues to ensure radio
wave exposure from these technologies remains safe,” Karipidis said.
Older studies raised
cancer concerns
The review’s call for further research aligns with the
rating of mobile phones as “possibly carcinogenic” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC). This status is assigned when it is not possible to absolutely rule out
such a link.
Its findings also line up with an article published in March by IARC describing the
preliminary findings of the Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health
(COSMOS) project. This is an exploration of the potential long-term health
effects of wireless communication technologies. In it, they find “people with
the most total hours of mobile phone calls do not have a higher risk of
developing a brain tumor compared with light users of mobile phones.”
Harb recalled older studies “that suggest a potential
risk. Many of these studies have been criticized for methodology issues, such
as recall bias and small sample sizes.”
“More recently, higher-quality meta-analyses including
larger cohorts of patients have not supported these early findings, so they
basically largely debunked earlier alarming claims about the risk of brain
cancer,” he said.
What about exposure in
the workplace?
While many people have phones close to their heads
throughout the day, for some, more consistent RF-EMF exposure arrives courtesy
of equipment installed at their workplaces. These may include magnetic
resonance imaging arrays (MRI machines), heating systems, microwaves,
telecommunication transmitters, radar, scanners, etc.
“Several studies have looked at occupational exposure
to EMF in workplaces, such as from radio transmitters or equipment in an
industrial setting. Occupational exposure is something we don’t take lightly,”
said Harb. “Workplace exposure levels can sometimes be higher.”
“The
problem with these types of exposures always has to do with the intensity and
duration. Can we completely exclude that remains to be seen,” Harb pointed out.
Still, he said — and the WHO review agrees — “The
research in this area has not demonstrated significantly different health
impact, and most studies have not found any increased risk of brain cancer, or
any other neoplasm associated with occupational RF-EMF exposure. We need to
continue to research. We need to continue to watch and minimize exposure.”
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