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Common Sense: Uncertainty, But Little Evidence on Brain Tumors From Mobile
Written by Dave Burstein   
Wednesday, 06 July 2011 15:06
NY_Times_JAMA

Dr. Nora Volkow, a world class neuroscientist, uses a headpiece for her mobile phone. I don't because I believe the evidence of harm is very weak. A team of epidemiologists in a review article concludes "Although there remains some uncertainty, the trend in the accumulating evidence is increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumours in adults."


Which seems sensible to me, although I second AT&T's Ralph de la Vega's call to do the research to come closer to certainty. The pictures at left, from JAMA and the New York Times, make clear cellphones do have an effect on the brain. It may well be totally benign. 

 

http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1103693

Mobile Phones, Brain Tumours and the Interphone Study: Where Are We Now?

Anthony J. Swerdlow, Maria Feychting, Adele C. Green, Leeka Kheifets, David A. Savitz, International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Standing Committee on Epidemiology

Abstract Top

Background: In the past 15 years, mobile phone use has evolved from an uncommon activity to one with over 4.6 billion subscriptions worldwide. There is, however, public concern about the possibility that mobile phones might cause cancer, especially brain tumours.

Objectives: To review the evidence on whether mobile phone use raises risk of the main types of brain tumour, glioma and meningioma, with a particular focus on the recent publication of the largest epidemiological study yet – the 13-country Interphone Study.

Discussion: Methodological deficits limit the conclusions that can be drawn from Interphone, but its results, along with those from other epidemiological, biological and animal studies, and brain tumour incidence trends, suggest that within about 10-15 years after first use of mobile phones there is unlikely to be a material increase in the risk of brain tumours in adults. Data for childhood tumours and for periods beyond 15 years are currently lacking.

Conclusions: Although there remains some uncertainty, the trend in the accumulating evidence is increasingly against the hypothesis that mobile phone use can cause brain tumours in adults.