BMJ – Use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumours: update of Danish cohort study

Researchers of the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, and of IARC’s Section of Environment and Radiation have published an update of a Danish nationwide cohort study of mobile phone subscribers in the British Medical Journal today. 358,403 subscription holders accrued 3.8 million person years for follow up for tumours of the central nervous system. The study did not show an increased risk of any type of central nervous system tumour, including in the group of longest term mobile phone subscribers of 13 years or more. There was also no indication for an increased risk of the most common sub-types of brain tumours, glioma and meningioma. In all, the study provides little evidence for a causal association between mobile phone use and risk of brain tumours, but cannot rule out risks after induction periods of 15 years or longer, or small to moderate increases in heavy users of mobile phones. Further research into the cancer-causing potential of mobile-phone use is warranted.

P Frei, AH Poulsen, C Johansen, JH Olsen, M Steding-Jessen M and J Schüz.
Use of mobile phones and risk of brain tumours: update of Danish cohort study
BMJ 2011;343:d6387 doi: 10.1136/bmj.d6387 (Published 20 October 2011) Read articleRead Questions and Answers