| Abstract
Background: The debate regarding the health effects
of low-intensity electromagnetic radiation
from sources such as power lines, base stations, and cell phones has
recently been reignited. In
the present review, the authors attempt to address the following question:
is there epidemiologic
evidence for an association between long-term cell phone usage and
the risk of developing a brain
tumor? Included with this meta-analysis of the long-term epidemiologic
data are a brief overview
of cell phone technology and discussion of laboratory data, biological
mechanisms, and brain
tumor incidence.
Methods: In order to be included in the present
meta-analysis, studies were required to have met all
of the following criteria: (i) publication in a peer-reviewed journal;
(ii) inclusion of participants using
cell phones for =10 years (ie, minimum 10-year “latency”);
and (iii) incorporation of a “laterality”
analysis of long-term users (ie, analysis of the side of the brain
tumor relative to the side of the head
preferred for cell phone usage). This is a meta-analysis incorporating
all 11 long-term epidemiologic
studies in this field.
Results: The results indicate that using a cell
phone for =10 years approximately doubles the risk
of being diagnosed with a brain tumor on the same (“ipsilateral”)
side of the head as that preferred
for cell phone use. The data achieve statistical significance for
glioma and acoustic neuroma but not
for meningioma.
Conclusion: The authors conclude that there is adequate epidemiologic
evidence to suggest a link
between prolonged cell phone usage and the development of an ipsilateral
brain tumor.
© 2009 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Vini G. Khurana, PhD, FRACSa,b,, Charles Teo, MBBS, FRACSc, Michael
Kundi, PhDd, Lennart Hardell, MD, PhDe, Michael Carlberg, MSce
aAustralian National University, Australia
bDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Canberra Hospital, Garran ACT 2605,
Australia
cThe Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia
dInstitute of Environmental Health, Medical University of Vienna,
Vienna A-1095, Austria
eDepartment of Oncology, University Hospital, Orebro SE-701 85, Sweden
Received 23 December 2008; accepted 21 January 2009
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