Mobile phone link with cancer refuted in a large study review

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDApr 29 2012

Researchers of the biggest review ever undertaken have said that there is no “convincing evidence” that long term use of mobile phones may cause cancer.

The review was carried out by the British Health Protection Agency's Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR). The researchers found that a large number of studies have been published on cancer risks; but none of them had demonstrated that mobiles actually cause brain tumours or any other types of cancer.

A small number of individual studies have claimed to have found evidence of a link between heavy mobile phone use and increased brain tumour incidence. For example, two years ago, the INTERPHONE study had reported that the heaviest users could be at a 40% increased risk of developing glioma, a common type of brain cancer. The HPA conducted a previous review in 2003, which also concluded that there was no evidence of harm. But there is now far more research into the subject.

In the new 333-page report, which reviewed hundreds of studies, professor Anthony Swerdlow, chairman of AGNIR, said, “I think there is a need to keep a watch on national cancer trends in relation to this, particularly with brain tumours…So far brain tumour rates are not rising in the sorts of age groups who have had exposure for 10, 15 years. But if this is something that takes 15, 20 years or more to show up... we need to keep watch over rates just in case.”

Swerdlow, also an epidemiologist at the Institute of Cancer Research, said that researchers running cohort studies also needed to investigate the matter to see if heavy users of mobile phones tended to develop brain tumours more than others.

In addition the review found no evidence that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields caused by wi-fi caused harmful effects. Neither did it find any proof that cell phone transmitters caused health problems, and recommended that “excessive” use of mobile phones by kids should be discouraged while adults should make their own decision.

Dr Simon Mann, another member of AGNIR, said, “We are continuing to recommend discouraging non-essential use by children.” Texting was preferable to calling, he said, as it meant the phone was “tens of centimetres away (from the head) rather than one or two”, reducing exposure levels by “orders of magnitude”. He added, “Hands-free kits reduces your exposure, as does using third generation (3G) modes rather than second generation (2G), and shorter calls.”

“As this is a relatively new technology, the HPA will continue to advise a precautionary approach,” said Dr John Cooper, director of the HPA's centre for radiation, chemical and environmental hazards. “The HPA recommends that excessive use of mobile phones by children should be discouraged.”

Last spring the Department of Health updated its advice by saying that sending text messages or using hands-free kits can reduce exposure to radiation, by keeping the handset away from the head.

John Cooke, executive director of the Mobile Operators Association, said, “The public will be reassured by this conclusion that there is still no convincing evidence that mobile phones cause adverse health effects, after almost two decades of research involving a large number of studies.”

There are now an estimated 80 million mobiles in the UK, and because of TV and radio broadcasting, Wi-Fi, and other technological developments, the study said exposure to low-level radio frequency fields was almost universal and continuous.