ARPANSA - Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

By: INTERPHONE Study Group
Published in: Cancer Epidemiol 2011: in press

The INTERPHONE study is a series of case-control studies conducted in 13 different countries (including Australia) investigating possible associations between using a mobile phone and different cancers of the head and neck. This is a pooled (combined) analysis looking specifically at acoustic neuroma (also called vestibular schwannoma). The analysis included 1105 subjects with acoustic neuroma (the cases) and 2145 subjects without the disease (the controls). Information on mobile phone use was obtained by personal interview. There was no increase in risk of acoustic neuroma with ever having been a regular mobile phone user (odds ratio, OR, of 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 0.69-1.04) or for using a mobile phone for 10 years or more (OR of 0.76, 95% CI 0.52-1.11). There was a statistically non-significant increase in the risk of acoustic neuroma at the highest level of cumulative call time (more than 1640 hours); the authors note that this could be due to chance, bias in the reporting of mobile phone use or it could be a true association. The authors also note that acoustic neuroma is usually a slowly growing tumour and the interval between introduction of mobile phones and occurrence of the tumour might have been too short to observe an effect, if there is one.

PUBMED LINK

A pooled analysis of the INTERPHONE studies for malignant brain tumours (glioma and meningioma) has previously been published (presented in the May 2010 report). Similarly to the acoustic neuroma results there was no overall association between mobile phone use and malignant brain tumours. There were suggestions of an association (most pronounced for glioma) in the group representing individuals with the highest cumulative call time.

The authors note that limitations of the methodology prevent conclusions of causality being drawn from these observations.

In May 2011 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) assessed the possible carcinogenicity (ability to produce or promote cancer) of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) (presented in the June 2011 report). Based primarily on the epidemiological studies of glioma and acoustic neuroma IARC classified RF EMF as a Group 2B carcinogen – “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.

The classification by IARC does not provide estimates of what risk of cancer might by posed by any given level of exposure to RF fields.  An assessment of this and other possible health effects will be undertaken by the World Health Organization in 2012.

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By: Barth A, et al
Published in: Bioelectromagnetics 2011: in press

This study is a meta-analysis of 17 previous studies performed on humans in the laboratory investigating whether using a mobile phone affects cognitive performance. No significant effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones were found where cognitive abilities seemed to be either impaired or assisted. The authors conclude that a substantial short-term impact of high frequency electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones on cognitive performance can essentially be ruled out.

PUBMED LINK

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By: Li D-K, et al
Published in: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2011: in press

This prospective cohort study investigated whether maternal exposure to high levels of extremely low frequency magnetic fields during pregnancy is associated with the risk of asthma in offspring. Children born to mothers that were recruited into the study in the San Francisco area during 1996-1998 were followed for up to 13 years. The mothers wore a magnetic field meter for a single period of 24 hours during the first or second trimester in order to measure their personal magnetic field exposure. There was a statistically significant dose-response relationship between the daily median maternal magnetic field exposure during pregnancy and an increased risk of asthma in offspring: every 1 milligauss increase of maternal magnetic field level during pregnancy was associated with a 15% increased rate of asthma in offspring. The observed association between the magnetic field exposure and asthma was increased in the presence of other risk factors such as a maternal history of asthma and birth order (firstborn). The authors conclude that their findings provide new epidemiological evidence that high magnetic field exposure during pregnancy may increase the risk of asthma in offspring.

PUBMED LINK

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By: de La Vignera S, et al
Published in: J Androl 2011: in press

This is a review of the laboratory research performed on humans and animals investigating the effect of mobile phones on male reproduction. The authors conclude that the animal studies show that the RF radiation from mobile phones decreases sperm count and motility, and increases the  oxidative stress. For the human studies the authors conclude that spermatozoa exposed to RF have decreased motility, size and shape abnormalities, and increased oxidative stress, whereas men using mobile phones have decreased sperm concentration, motility, normal morphology, and viability.

PUBMED LINK

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By: Corle C, Makale M, Kesari S
Published in: J Neurooncol 2011: in press

This is a review of the epidemiological evidence on mobile use and glioma including the INTERPHONE studies and the studies by Hardell and co-workers. The authors conclude that overall the studies suggest an association between mobile phone use and glioma when used for 10 years or more and/or a high number of cumulative call hours. The authors recommend that more research is needed and in the mean time they encourage a reduction in exposure and discouraging heavy use by children.

PUBMED LINK

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By: National Cancer Institute
Published in: National Cancer Institute - Fact Sheets 2011: 1 – 7

The fact sheet is available from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones

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By: NRL New Zealand
Published in:NRL Information Sheets 2011(21): 1 – 2

The fact sheet is available from http://www.nrl.moh.govt.nz/publications/is21.pdf.

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