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Cancer & Tumors249 citations

cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for brain tumours.

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Hardell L, Hallquist A, Hansson Mild K, Carlberg M, Pahlson A, Lilja A. · 2002

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Long-term analog cell phone use doubled brain tumor risk, with tumors developing specifically on the phone-use side of the head.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Swedish researchers studied 1,617 brain tumor patients and compared their cell phone use to healthy controls. They found that people who used older analog cell phones had a 30% higher risk of brain tumors, with the risk jumping to 80% for those who used these phones for more than 10 years. The tumors were most likely to develop on the same side of the head where people held their phones.

Why This Matters

This Swedish study provides compelling evidence that cell phone radiation can cause brain tumors, particularly with long-term use. The researchers found a clear dose-response relationship - the longer people used analog phones, the higher their cancer risk became. What makes this study particularly credible is the anatomical specificity: tumors developed predominantly on the same side of the head where people held their phones, creating what scientists call a 'biological gradient' that strongly suggests causation rather than coincidence. The 250% increased risk for acoustic neuromas among analog phone users is especially concerning, as these tumors develop directly along the nerve pathway most exposed to phone radiation. While this study focused on older analog technology that emitted higher radiation levels than today's digital phones, it demonstrates that the human brain is vulnerable to microwave radiation at levels once considered safe by regulators.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

We included in a case-control study 1617 patients aged 20-80 years of both sexes with brain tumour diagnosed between 1 January 1997 and 30 June 2000.

They were alive at the study time and had histopathologically verified brain tumour. One matched con...

In total, use of analogue cellular telephones gave an increased risk with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.3 ...

With regard to different tumour types, the highest risk was for acoustic neurinoma (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.8-6.8) among analogue cellular telephone users.

Cite This Study
Hardell L, Hallquist A, Hansson Mild K, Carlberg M, Pahlson A, Lilja A. (2002). cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for brain tumours. Europ J Cancer Prevent 11:377-386, 2002.
Show BibTeX
@article{l_2002_cellular_and_cordless_telephones_2162,
  author = {Hardell L and Hallquist A and Hansson Mild K and Carlberg M and Pahlson A and Lilja A.},
  title = {cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for brain tumours.},
  year = {2002},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12195165/},
}
PubMed: 12195165

Cited By (249 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, analog cell phones showed significantly higher brain tumor risks than digital phones. A 2002 Swedish study found analog phone users had 30% higher brain tumor risk, while digital and cordless phones showed no clear association with increased cancer risk.
Yes, brain tumors are more likely to develop on the same side of your head where you hold your phone. Swedish researchers found analog cell phone users had 2.5 times higher risk for tumors in the temporal area on their phone-holding side.
Yes, using analog cell phones for more than 10 years significantly increases brain cancer risk. The Swedish study found the risk jumped from 30% to 80% higher for people who used analog phones for over a decade.
Acoustic neurinoma shows the highest risk from analog cell phone use. Swedish researchers found analog phone users had 3.5 times higher risk of developing this specific type of brain tumor compared to non-users.
The 2002 Swedish study by Hardell and colleagues examined 1,617 brain tumor patients and compared their cell phone usage patterns to healthy control subjects to determine cancer risks from different phone technologies.