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Case-control study on the use of mobile and cordless phones and the risk for malignant melanoma in the head and neck region.

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Hardell L, Carlberg M, Hansson Mild K, Eriksson M. · 2011

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Heavy phone users who started before age 20 showed double the skin cancer risk in head and neck areas closest to phone antennas.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Swedish researchers studied 347 people with malignant melanoma (skin cancer) on the head and neck and compared their mobile and cordless phone use to 1,184 healthy controls. They found that people who used phones for more than 365 hours and started using them before age 20 had roughly double the risk of developing melanoma in areas closest to where phones are held. The findings suggest radiofrequency radiation might promote skin cancer development, though the researchers emphasize more studies are needed to confirm this connection.

Why This Matters

This study adds to growing concerns about radiofrequency radiation's role in cancer development, particularly for those who began using wireless devices as children or teenagers. What makes this research particularly noteworthy is that it examines skin cancer rather than brain tumors, suggesting EMF effects may extend beyond the nervous system. The 365-hour threshold represents roughly 6 hours of cumulative talk time per year over a decade - easily achievable for regular phone users. The doubled risk for early adopters who started before age 20 aligns with other research showing greater vulnerability during developmental years. While the researchers appropriately call for caution in interpreting results, this adds to the body of evidence suggesting that our current safety standards may not adequately protect against long-term health effects, especially for young users whose exposure patterns differ significantly from the adult male models used to establish current guidelines.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Case-control study on the use of mobile and cordless phones and the risk for malignant melanoma in the head and neck region

In this case-control study we assessed use of mobile and cordless phones in 347 cases with melanoma ...

Overall no increased risk was found. However, in the most exposed area; temporal, cheek and ear, cum...

The results must be interpreted with caution due to low numbers and potential methodological shortcomings in a case-control study. However, the findings might be consistent with a late carcinogenic effect from microwaves, i.e. tumour promotion, but need to be confirmed.

Cite This Study
Hardell L, Carlberg M, Hansson Mild K, Eriksson M. (2011). Case-control study on the use of mobile and cordless phones and the risk for malignant melanoma in the head and neck region. Pathophysiology. 18(4):325-333, 2011.
Show BibTeX
@article{l_2011_casecontrol_study_on_the_2177,
  author = {Hardell L and Carlberg M and Hansson Mild K and Eriksson M.},
  title = {Case-control study on the use of mobile and cordless phones and the risk for malignant melanoma in the head and neck region.},
  year = {2011},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21764571/},
}
PubMed: 21764571

Cited By (28 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A Swedish study found that people who used mobile phones for over 365 hours and started before age 20 had roughly double the risk of developing melanoma on areas closest to the phone like the ear and cheek.
Research suggests phone radiation might promote skin cancer development. One study found increased melanoma risk in heavy users, particularly those who started using phones before age 20, though more research is needed.
A 2011 study found that heavy cordless phone use (over 365 hours) doubled melanoma risk in areas like the cheek and ear. The risk was highest for people who started using phones before age 20.
Most research shows no overall cancer risk from mobile phones. However, one Swedish study found doubled melanoma risk in heavy users, particularly those who began using phones as teenagers in head and neck areas.
A Swedish study of 347 melanoma patients found no overall increased risk, but heavy phone users who started before age 20 showed doubled cancer risk in areas closest to the phone like ears and cheeks.