Review

Tumour risk associated with use of cellular telephones or cordless desktop telephones

Lennart Hardell¹ , Kjell Hansson Mild² , Michael Carlberg³ and Fredrik Söderqvist⁴

¹  Department of Oncology, University Hospital, SE-701 85 Örebro and Department of Natural Sciences, Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden

²  National Institute for Working Life, SE-907 13 Umeå and Department of Natural Sciences, Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro, Sweden

³  Department of Oncology, University Hospital, SE-701 85 Örebro, Sweden

⁴  Department of Oncology, University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Örebro University, SE-701 85 Örebro, Sweden

author email corresponding author email

World Journal of Surgical Oncology 2006, 4:74doi:10.1186/1477-7819-4-74

Published:	11 October 2006

Abstract

Background

The use of cellular and cordless telephones has increased dramatically during the last decade. There is concern of health problems such as malignant diseases due to microwave exposure during the use of these devices. The brain is the main target organ.

Methods

Since the second part of the 1990's we have performed six case-control studies on this topic encompassing use of both cellular and cordless phones as well as other exposures. Three of the studies concerned brain tumours, one salivary gland tumours, one non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and one testicular cancer. Exposure was assessed by self-administered questionnaires.

Results

Regarding acoustic neuroma analogue cellular phones yielded odds ratio (OR) = 2.9, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 2.0–4.3, digital cellular phones OR = 1.5, 95 % CI = 1.1–2.1 and cordless phones OR = 1.5, 95 % CI = 1.04–2.0. The corresponding results were for astrocytoma grade III-IV OR = 1.7, 95 % CI = 1.3–2.3; OR = 1.5, 95 % CI = 1.2–1.9 and OR = 1.5, 95 % CI = 1.1–1.9, respectively. The ORs increased with latency period with highest estimates using > 10 years time period from first use of these phone types. Lower ORs were calculated for astrocytoma grade I-II. No association was found with salivary gland tumours, NHL or testicular cancer although an association with NHL of T-cell type could not be ruled out.

Conclusion

We found for all studied phone types an increased risk for brain tumours, mainly acoustic neuroma and malignant brain tumours. OR increased with latency period, especially for astrocytoma grade III-IV. No consistent pattern of an increased risk was found for salivary gland tumours, NHL, or testicular cancer.