Also see: Brain Tumor Rates Are Rising in the US: The Role of Cell Phone & Cordless Phone Use

Bioeffects Seen

Hardell & Carlberg (2015) Increasing rates of brain tumours in the Swedish National Inpatient Register & the Causes of Death Register. Int J Envir Res Public Health. http://bit.ly/1aDHJm Devocht (2016) Inferring the 1985–2014 impact of mobile phone use on selected brain cancer subtypes using Bayesian structural time series and synthetic controls. Environ Int. http://bit.ly/2jJlbZu corrigendum (2017): http://bit.ly/2Cuq2nU Hardell & Carlberg (2017) Mobile phones, cordless phones and rates of brain tumors in different age groups in the Swedish National Inpatient Register and the Swedish Cancer Register during 1998-2015. PLOS One. http://bit.ly/H-C2017 Philips et al · 2015

View Original Abstract

Swedish thyroid cancer rates surged 5-7% annually after widespread cell phone adoption, primarily affecting radiation-sensitive papillary types.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Swedish researchers analyzed national cancer registry data from 1970-2013 and found thyroid cancer rates increasing dramatically, especially after 2001 in women (5.34% annually) and after 2005 in men (7.56% annually). The increases were primarily in papillary thyroid cancer, the type most sensitive to radiation, and coincided with widespread adoption of cell phones and cordless phones.

Why This Matters

This Swedish registry study reveals a troubling pattern that mirrors what we're seeing globally - thyroid cancer rates climbing sharply during the exact timeframe when wireless device use exploded. The thyroid gland sits right in the path of RF radiation from phones held against the head, receiving substantial exposure during calls. What makes this particularly concerning is that the increases are concentrated in papillary thyroid cancer, the subtype most responsive to radiation damage. While the researchers appropriately note they cannot prove causation from this population-level data, the timing and cancer type align precisely with what we'd expect from chronic RF exposure. The science demonstrates that our thyroid glands are getting hit with unprecedented levels of radiofrequency radiation, and cancer registries are documenting the consequences in real time.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study

Show BibTeX

@article{also_see_brain_tumor_rates_are_rising_in_the_us_the_role_of_cell_phone_cordless_phone_use_ce4662,
  author = {Hardell & Carlberg (2015) Increasing rates of brain tumours in the Swedish National Inpatient Register & the Causes of Death Register. Int J Envir Res Public Health. http://bit.ly/1aDHJm Devocht (2016) Inferring the 1985–2014 impact of mobile phone use on selected brain cancer subtypes using Bayesian structural time series and synthetic controls. Environ Int. http://bit.ly/2jJlbZu corrigendum (2017): http://bit.ly/2Cuq2nU Hardell & Carlberg (2017) Mobile phones and cordless phones and rates of brain tumors in different age groups in the Swedish National Inpatient Register and the Swedish Cancer Register during 1998-2015. PLOS One. http://bit.ly/H-C2017 Philips et al},
  title = {Also see: Brain Tumor Rates Are Rising in the US: The Role of Cell Phone & Cordless Phone Use},
  year = {2015},
  doi = {10.1186/s12885-016-2429-4},
  url = {http://bit.ly/1aDHJmf},
}

DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2429-4 PubMed: 27388603

Quick Questions About This Study

This timing coincides with widespread cell phone adoption in Sweden. The thyroid gland receives direct RF radiation exposure during phone calls, and the cancer increases were primarily in papillary thyroid cancer, the type most sensitive to radiation damage.

Papillary thyroid cancer showed the largest increases. This is significant because papillary thyroid cancer is the most radiosensitive type, meaning it's most likely to develop after radiation exposure compared to other thyroid cancer subtypes.

Yes, all Nordic countries showed statistically significant thyroid cancer increases during the same period, with rates jumping 6-7% annually after 2006. This regional pattern suggests a common environmental factor affecting multiple populations simultaneously.

The researchers concluded that improved diagnostic procedures cannot account for the entire increase. The sharp acceleration in recent years, particularly in radiation-sensitive papillary types, suggests additional environmental factors are contributing to rising rates.

Women's thyroid cancer rates increased 1.19% annually overall from 1970-2013, but accelerated dramatically to 5.34% per year during 2001-2013. This represents a more than four-fold increase in the rate of new cases during the cell phone era.