Note: This study found no significant biological effects under its experimental conditions. We include all studies for scientific completeness.
Cellular telephone use and time trends for brain, head and neck tumours, N Z Med J. 2003 Jun 6;116(1175):U457
No Effects Found
Authors not listed · 2003
Early population study found no brain tumor increases linked to 1990s cell phone use patterns.
Plain English Summary
Summary written for general audiences
This 2003 New Zealand study examined trends in brain, head and neck tumor rates in relation to cellular telephone use patterns. The research found no significant increases in these cancer types that could be attributed to mobile phone usage during the time period analyzed.
Cite This Study
Unknown (2003). Cellular telephone use and time trends for brain, head and neck tumours, N Z Med J. 2003 Jun 6;116(1175):U457.
Show BibTeX
@article{cellular_telephone_use_and_time_trends_for_brain_head_and_neck_tumours_n_z_med_j_2003_jun_61161175u457_ce1051,
author = {Unknown},
title = {Cellular telephone use and time trends for brain, head and neck tumours, N Z Med J. 2003 Jun 6;116(1175):U457},
year = {2003},
doi = {10.17843/rpmesp.2015.322.1627},
}Quick Questions About This Study
No, this 2003 analysis of New Zealand tumor registries found no significant increases in brain, head, or neck cancers that correlated with the rise in cellular telephone use during the 1990s and early 2000s.
The study was published in 2003, examining tumor trends during the early years of widespread cellular adoption. This timeframe may be too short to detect cancers with long latency periods of 10-20 years.
The researchers analyzed trends for brain tumors, head cancers, and neck tumors using population-based cancer registry data to look for patterns that might correlate with increasing mobile phone usage.
Early studies examined much lower usage levels and older phone technologies. Modern smartphones emit different radiation patterns and people use them far more intensively than the basic cellular phones of the 1990s.
Population studies provide important data but have limitations including cancer latency periods, changing exposure patterns, and difficulty controlling for other factors. They represent one piece of the overall scientific evidence.