FAQ

Brain Cancer

What is the link between brain cancer and extremely low frequency electromagnetic radiation? For most scientific claims, one can find articles for and against. The jury is defnitely not "in" for the argument asscociating brain cancer with electromagnetic radiation. Here are several quotes from Bondy et al regarding the association between brain cancer and extremely low frequency electromagnetic radiation.

"Studies of residential wire codes and brain cancer in children, and of occupational EMF exposures and brain cancer in adults suggest that EMF exposure may be associated with brain cancer." "Wertheimer and Leeper were the first to report a significant association between childhood cancers (most notably leukaemias and brain cancer) and residence near high-current configuration wiring (high-tension wires and wires emanating from local or substation transformers) in the Denver area. Children with brain cancer were 2.4 times more likely than children without brain cancer to have lived in homes with high-current-configuration wiring. In a subsequent independent study in Denver, Savitz et al. also found that children with brain cancer were twice as likely as control subjects to have lived in residences with high-current-configuration wiring. In a large study in Sweden, Tomenius reported similar results."

Bondy et al. "Environmental Risk Factors in the Development of Brain Tumors" in The Practice of Neurosurgery Tindall et al (eds) Williams & Wilkins; Philadelphia, 1996  pp 517-528.

Savitz DA. Case-control study of childhood cancer and residential exposure to electric and magnetic fields. Albany,NY:NY State Power Lines Project, 1987; Contact    no.218217.

Savitz DA, Wachtel H, Barnes FA et al. Case-control study of childhood cancer and exposure to 60-Hz magnetic fileds. Am J Epidemiol 1988;128:21-38.

Tomenius L. 50-Hz electromagnetic environment and the incidence of childhood tumors in Stockholm County. Bioelectromagnetics 1986;7:191-207.

Wertheimer N, Leeper E. Electrical wiring configurations and childhood cancer. Am J Epidemiol 1979;109:273-284.

What is a primary brain tumour?
This is a tumour that has developed from normal brain cells such as astrocytes, ependyma and oligodendroglial cells. They are often referred to as intra-axial tumours.

What is a secondary brain tumour?
A secondary brain tumour has spread to the brain from a primary tumour elsewhere in the body. Secondary tumours (in any part of the body) are also known as metastases.

What is an intracranial tumour?
These are tumours arising from structures in and around the brain, but not the brain itself. Because they are so intimately connected to the brain, they are often (inaccurately) called brain tumours.

What are the most common kinds of brain Tumours?
The most common type of primary brain tumour is a glioma. The most common type of glioma is an astrocytoma, and unfortunately the most common type of astrocytoma is the malignant variety. All other gliomas are quite rare. The next most common brain tumour is one that has spread from elsewhere in the body. This is called a secondary or metastasis. If you include all intracranial tumours under the heading of "brain tumours", the next most common tumour is the meningioma.

What is the most important thing for patients to know about a brain tumour?
For patients, the most important thing is not so much the name of the brain tumour, but its rate of growth or biological aggressiveness and its invasiveness. There are well documented cases of so called "benign" or low grade tumours, growing very rapidly and behaving like malignant tumours and conversely there are some tumours which look malignant under the microscope but behave like a benign tumour.