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Use of cellular or cordless telephones and the risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

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Hardell L, Eriksson M, Carlberg M, Sundstrom C, Mild KH. · 2005

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Phone radiation may increase risk of aggressive T-cell lymphoma, with cordless phones showing the strongest link after five years of use.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Swedish researchers studied whether using cell phones and cordless phones increases the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. They found no increased risk for the most common type (B-cell lymphoma), but did find a potential link between phone use and a rarer form called T-cell lymphoma, particularly after five years of use. The increased risk was most pronounced for certain aggressive forms of T-cell lymphoma, with cordless phones showing the strongest association.

Why This Matters

This study adds important evidence to the growing body of research linking wireless phone radiation to cancer risk. What makes these findings particularly noteworthy is that they come from Sweden's comprehensive cancer registries, providing high-quality data on actual cancer cases rather than laboratory studies. The fact that cordless phones showed the strongest association with T-cell lymphoma is significant because these devices operate at similar frequencies to WiFi and are often used for longer periods than cell phones. While the researchers appropriately note the small numbers involved, the pattern of increased risk with longer exposure periods follows what we'd expect if radiation were truly causing these cancers. The reality is that T-cell lymphomas, though less common than B-cell types, are often more aggressive and harder to treat. This research suggests we should take wireless radiation exposure seriously, especially given that most people today have far more exposure than the study participants did in the early 2000s.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

To evaluate the use of cellular and cordless telephones as the risk factor for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Male and female subjects aged 18-74 years living in Sweden were included during a period from 1 Dece...

In total, 910 (91%) cases and 1016 (92%) controls participated. NHL of the B-cell type was not assoc...

The results indicate an association between T-cell NHL and the use of cellular and cordless telephones, however based on low numbers and must be interpreted with caution. Regarding B-cell NHL no association was found.

Cite This Study
Hardell L, Eriksson M, Carlberg M, Sundstrom C, Mild KH. (2005). Use of cellular or cordless telephones and the risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 78(8):625-632, 2005.
Show BibTeX
@article{l_2005_use_of_cellular_or_2168,
  author = {Hardell L and Eriksson M and Carlberg M and Sundstrom C and Mild KH.},
  title = {Use of cellular or cordless telephones and the risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.},
  year = {2005},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16001209/},
}
PubMed: 16001209

Cited By (63 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Swedish research found cordless phones may increase T-cell lymphoma risk after five years of use, with an odds ratio of 2.47. The risk was highest for aggressive forms like cutaneous lymphoma (5.48 times higher risk). However, researchers noted the findings were based on small numbers and require cautious interpretation.
Both digital and analog cell phones showed similar increased risks for T-cell lymphoma after five years of use in this Swedish study. Digital phones had an odds ratio of 1.92 while analog phones showed 1.46, though cordless phones had the highest risk at 2.47.
No association was found between cell phone or cordless phone use and B-cell lymphoma, the most common form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This Swedish study of 910 cases found no increased risk for B-cell lymphoma regardless of phone type or duration of use.
The Swedish study found increased T-cell lymphoma risk only appeared after more than five years of regular phone use. No increased risk was observed with shorter exposure periods, suggesting a latency period is needed for potential effects to develop.
Cordless phones showed the strongest association with T-cell lymphoma, particularly aggressive forms like cutaneous and leukemia-type T-cell lymphomas. The risk was 5.48 times higher for these aggressive forms, though researchers emphasized the findings need careful interpretation due to small sample sizes.