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Use of cellular telephones and the risk for brain tumours: A case-control study.

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Hardell, L, Nasman, A, Pahlson, A, Hallquist, A, Hansson Mild, K · 1999

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Brain tumors occurred 2.4 times more often on the same side where people held their cell phones, suggesting localized radiation effects.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Swedish researchers studied 209 brain tumor patients and 425 healthy controls to examine whether cell phone use increases brain cancer risk. While overall cancer rates appeared similar between phone users and non-users, the study found a concerning pattern: brain tumors were 2.4 times more likely to occur on the same side of the head where people held their phones. This suggests that radiation from cell phones may cause tumors specifically in the brain areas closest to the device.

Why This Matters

This 1999 Swedish study represents one of the earliest systematic investigations into cell phone brain cancer risk, and its findings reveal a critical pattern that industry-funded research often overlooks. While the overall cancer rates didn't reach statistical significance, the 2.4-fold increase in same-side tumors is exactly what you'd expect if cell phone radiation causes localized biological damage. The science demonstrates that RF radiation doesn't distribute evenly throughout your body - it concentrates in tissues closest to the source, which is why tumor location matters more than overall statistics. What makes this research particularly valuable is that it examined both analog NMT and digital GSM systems, finding increased risk only with the older analog technology that had been in use long enough for tumors to develop. The researchers acknowledged that GSM observation time was too short for definitive conclusions - a limitation that underscores how cancer studies require decades of follow-up to capture the full picture of risk.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Use of cellular telephones and the risk for brain tumours: A case-control study.

All cases, both males and females, with histopathologically verified brain tumour living in Uppsala-...

The analyses were based on answers from 209 (90%) cases and 425 (91%) controls. Use of cellular tele...

Non-significantly increased risk was found for tumour in the temporal or occipital lobe on the same side as a cellular phone had been used, right side OR = 2.45, CI = 0.78-7.76, left side OR = 2.40, CI = 0.52-10.9 Increased risk was found only for use of the NMT system. For GSM use the observation time is still too short for definite conclusions. An increased risk for brain tumour in the anatomical area close to the use of a cellular telephone should be especially studied in the future.

Cite This Study
Hardell, L, Nasman, A, Pahlson, A, Hallquist, A, Hansson Mild, K (1999). Use of cellular telephones and the risk for brain tumours: A case-control study. Int J Oncol 15(1):113-116, 1999.
Show BibTeX
@article{hardell_1999_use_of_cellular_telephones_2160,
  author = {Hardell and L and Nasman and A and Pahlson and A and Hallquist and A and Hansson Mild and K},
  title = {Use of cellular telephones and the risk for brain tumours: A case-control study.},
  year = {1999},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10375602/},
}
PubMed: 10375602

Cited By (304 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Swedish researchers found brain tumors were 2.4 times more likely to develop on the same side of the head where people held their cell phones. This 1999 study of 209 brain tumor patients suggests radiation may cause tumors in brain areas closest to the device.
The 1999 Swedish study found increased brain tumor risk only with analog NMT phones, not digital GSM phones. However, researchers noted the observation time for GSM phones was too short for definitive conclusions about their cancer risk.
The Swedish research found increased tumor risk specifically in the temporal and occipital lobes on the same side where cell phones were used. These brain regions are anatomically closest to where people typically hold their phones during calls.
No, the Swedish study found no overall increased brain cancer risk from cell phone use (odds ratio 0.98). However, when researchers examined tumor location, they discovered a concerning 2.4-fold increase in tumors on the phone-use side of the head.
Swedish researchers studied 209 brain tumor patients and 425 healthy controls in their 1999 case-control study. This represented a 90% response rate from brain cancer cases and 91% from healthy participants, providing robust data for analysis.