Exposure to Power Frequency Magnetic Fields and Risk of Breast Cancer in the Upper Cape Cod Cancer Incidence Study

Abstract

Investigators used a population-based case-control study to evaluate the relationship between breast cancer risk and exposure to 60-Hz magnetic fields from various sources. There was no increase in breast cancer risk associated with (a) holding a job with high (odds ratio [OR] = 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4, 3.4) or medium (OR = 0.9; 95% CI = 0.5, 1.7) exposure to magnetic fields; (b) living in a home heated electrically (OR = 1.0; 95% CI = 0.7, 1.4); or (c) sleeping with an electric blanket (OR = 1.0; 95% CI = 0.7, 1.4). There was a nonsignificant 50% increase in risk for subjects who lived within 152 m (500 ft) of an electricity transmission line or substation (OR = 1.5; 95% CI = 0.6, 3.3). Although limited by small numbers and exposure misclassification, the data in this study did not support the hypothesis that exposure to 60-Hz magnetic fields increases the risk of breast cancer in women.

Population-Based Case-Control Study of Occupational Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields and Breast Cancer

“…Many of the studies used a broad definition of exposure based on either occupations (25,28,(31)(32)(33)(34) or qualitative job-exposure matrices (35)(36)(37)(38)(39). Some of these studies found evidence for an increased risk with potential exposure to EMFs (25,28,31,(35)(36)(37), whereas others did not (32,33; 38, 39).lnterestingly, the few studies incorporating quantitative exposure measurements found little to no evidence for an elevated breast cancer risk (40)(41)(42), largely consistent with the results of our study.…”

The effects of extremely low frequency magnetic fields on mutation induction in mice

“…Since then, and over the subsequent three decades, a considerable amount of epidemiological studies have analysed a potential association with breast cancer from ELF exposure in residential and occupational environments, including from electric blankets. However, most epidemiological studies have indicated little or no overall effect of ELF-MF exposure risks and similar findings are reported in the majority of studies of bed heating devices (Verkasalo et al, 1996;Li et al, 1997;Coogan & Aschengrau, 1998;Schoenfeld et al, 2003;Elliott et al, 2013).…”

“…Effects were visible at quite low exposure levels, as any exposure to magnetic fields >0.05 µT was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Similarly, the general outcomes from studies of occupational exposure did not indicate any effects either (Coogan & Aschengrau, 1998;Kliukiene et al, 2004;Forssén et al, 2005;McElroy, 2007). Furthermore, the metaanalysis studies (Erren, 2001;Chen et al, 2010) which, between them, summarised the literature available from 1966-2009, including studies analysing residential and occupational exposures, as well as those from electric blankets.…”

A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship between Exposure to ELF-EMFs and the Risk of Female Breast Cancer

“…In our study, there were eight studies[3], [12], [15], [18], [20], [22], [25] that made an exposure assessment through investigating the usage of electric heating apparatus such as electric blanket, seven[11], [13], [21], [25], [26], [29], [30] through working history, five[16], [19], [24], [26], [29] through the exposure level of the living environment, two[21], [30] through measuring and calculating the ELF-EMF levels based on the living and working conditions. In the 23 studies, there were sixteen studies[3], [12]–[15], [17], [18], [20], [22]–[24], [27]–[29], [32] from America, three[19], [21], [31] from Sweden, two[26], [30] from Norway, one from Canada and one from Taiwan. In terms of case selecting, fourteen [3], [15]–[19], [21]–[24], [28], [29], [31], [33] studies selected their cases from cancer registry, other cases were selected from hospitals or other cohort studies.…”