Mobile phones and cancer. Part 1: epidemiology of tumours in the head
"In order to eludicate any health effects from the use of mobile phones, in particular tumours in the head, much research has already been performed. Currently data is available for up to 13 year mobile phone usage. It shows no clear evidence that using a phone for such a time period results in...
| Institution: | ETUI-European Trade Union Institute |
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| Format: | TEXT |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Hague
2013
Health Council of the Netherlands |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19101979124919291519-Mobile-phones-and-cancer.-Part.htm |
| Summary: | "In order to eludicate any health effects from the use of mobile phones, in particular tumours in the head, much research has already been performed. Currently data is available for up to 13 year mobile phone usage. It shows no clear evidence that using a phone for such a time period results in an increased risk for brain tumours or other tumours in the head. Nothing can be said about any risks associated with longer use: for this we need studies running for a longer time. This is what the Health Council of the Netherlands writes in an advisory report that has been presented to the State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment.
Weak and inconsistent evidence
The conclusions in the report result from an elaborate search and evaluation of the evailable epidemiological studies into a possible association between the incidence of certain tumours in the head and exposure to the radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from mobile telephones. The strong and weak points of the studies have been analysed and the results have been weighted.
Only for gliomas (malignant brain tumours) weak and inconsistent indications for an association with longterm use of a mobile phone were found. A the same time no increase of this type of brain tumour was observed in the cancer statistics of the Netherlands.
Indications for possible associations with meningiomas (tumours of the meninges), acoustic neuromas (tumours on the acoustic nerve) and parotid gland tumours were even weaker.
Importance of continuation of research
More information will have to be provided by epidemiological studies performed over a longer time period, and by following the cancer statistics for a longer time. For it is possible that the socalled latency time (in this case: the time period between the exposure and the manifestation of the tumour) is (much) longer than 13 years. If that would be the case, studies would show any association after an extended time period only. |
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| Physical Description: | 254 p. Digital |