Brain and Salivary Gland Tumors and Mobile Phone Use: Evaluating the Evidence from Various Epidemiological Study Designs

Abstract

Mobile phones (MPs) are the most relevant source of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure to the brain and the salivary gland. Whether this exposure implies a cancer risk has been addressed in several case-control and few cohort studies. A meta-analysis of these studies does not show increased risks for meningioma, pituitary, and salivary gland tumors. For glioma and acoustic neuroma, the results are heterogeneous, with few case-control studies reporting substantially increased risks. However, these elevated risks are not coherent with observed incidence time trends, which are considered informative for this specific topic owing to the steep increase in MP use, the availability of virtually complete cancer registry data from many countries, and the limited number of known competing environmental risk factors. In conclusion, epidemiological studies do not suggest increased brain or salivary gland tumor risk with MP use, although some uncertainty remains regarding long latency periods (>15 years), rare brain tumor subtypes, and MP usage during childhood.

Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields: Carcinogenic and Other Biological Effects

“…A statistically significant increase in the incidence of heart schwannoma was observed in EMF-treated male rats in a recent study [67]. The cause of the differences between the study and control groups could have been temperature-induced metabolic changes due to a slight (usually <1°C) but a prolonged elevation of the body temperature in many exposed rats [49]. This assumption agrees with the negative results of NTP carcinogenesis studies in mice [68], which are less sensitive to EMF-induced increase in body temperature [69].…”

“…The most recent review concluded that the current evidence including in vitro, in vivo, and epidemiological studies do not indicate an association between MP use and tumors developing from the most exposed organs and tissues, the brain and salivary glands in particular. Any potentially undetected risk is expected to be small, possibly concerning those using MP for a long period (>15 years), rare brain tumor types, and MP usage by children [49]. A moderate increase in the incidence of brain tumors in certain time periods, countries and age groups [50,51] is out of proportion to the tremendous rise in the MP use.…”

“…Bias is known to occur in the epidemiologic research: the dose-dependent selection and selfselection, observation, participation, recall bias, etc. [21,49,53]. At the beginning of the MP era, the use of MPs was associated with a higher income [39], which, in turn, must be associated with better diagnostics.…”

[Comment] Health risks from radiofrequency radiation, including 5G, should be assessed by experts with no conflicts of interest

“…Several Swiss citizens have brought to our attention that Associate Professor Martin Röösli is the chair of two important government expert groups in Switzerland (directeur), despite possible COIs and a history of misrepresentation of science (22,23). These groups are Beratende Expertengruppe NIS (BERENIS; the Swiss advisory expert group on electromagnetic fields and non-ionizing radiation) (24), and the subgroup 3, the Mobile Communications and Radiation Working Group of the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications/Eidgenössisches Departement für Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation, evaluating RF-radiation health risks from 5G technology (25,26).…”

On the Biological Effects of Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields

“…Научный комитет по новым и вновь выявленным рискам для здоровья (SCENIHR) и Международная комиссия по защите от неионизирующего излучения (ICNIRP) свидетельствуют, что эпидемиологические исследования в целом не подтверждают повышения риска опухолей ЦНС в результате использования МТ, в том числе у детей [68,74]. В недавнем обзоре сделано заключение, что результаты, полученные in vitro, in vivo и в эпидемиологических исследованиях, не доказывают причинно-следственной связи между ЭМИ РЧ и опухолями, в особенности, головного мозга и слюнных желез [66]. Эпидемиологические данные противоречивы; в них не исключены систематические ошибки: дозозависимый отбор и самоотбор, ошибки памяти и др.…”