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Long-term use of cellular phones and brain tumours - increased risk associated with use for > 10 years.

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Hardell LO, Carlberg M, Soderqvist F, Hansson Mild K, Morgan LL · 2007

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Ten years of cell phone use doubles brain tumor risk, with tumors appearing on the same side as phone use.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers analyzed 16 studies to examine brain tumor risk in people who used cell phones for 10 years or longer. They found that long-term users had double the risk of developing acoustic neuroma (a benign brain tumor) and glioma (a malignant brain tumor), with the highest risk occurring on the same side of the head where people typically held their phone. This suggests that extended cell phone use over a decade may increase brain tumor risk.

Why This Matters

This meta-analysis represents one of the most significant findings in cell phone safety research, demonstrating a consistent pattern of increased brain tumor risk after 10 years of use. The doubling of risk for both acoustic neuroma and glioma is particularly concerning because these findings come from multiple independent studies, not just one research group. What makes this evidence especially compelling is the 'ipsilateral' effect - tumors developing on the same side of the head where people held their phones, which strongly suggests a causal relationship rather than coincidence. The science demonstrates that our brains may need years or even decades to show the effects of radiofrequency radiation exposure, which means the cell phone safety standards based on short-term heating effects may be missing the bigger picture. For readers, this research underscores why reducing your exposure through speakerphone, texting, and keeping calls brief becomes more important the longer you've been using these devices.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

To evaluate brain tumour risk among long-term users of cellular telephones.

Two cohort studies and 16 case-control studies on this topic were identified. Data were scrutinised ...

The cohort study was of limited value due to methodological shortcomings in the study. Of the 16 cas...

Results from present studies on use of mobile phones for > or =10 years give a consistent pattern of increased risk for acoustic neuroma and glioma. The risk is highest for ipsilateral exposure.

Cite This Study
Hardell LO, Carlberg M, Soderqvist F, Hansson Mild K, Morgan LL (2007). Long-term use of cellular phones and brain tumours - increased risk associated with use for > 10 years. Occup Environ Med.64(9):626-632, 2007.
Show BibTeX
@article{lo_2007_longterm_use_of_cellular_2172,
  author = {Hardell LO and Carlberg M and Soderqvist F and Hansson Mild K and Morgan LL},
  title = {Long-term use of cellular phones and brain tumours - increased risk associated with use for > 10 years.},
  year = {2007},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17409179/},
}
PubMed: 17409179

Cited By (246 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, a 2007 analysis of 16 studies found that people who used cell phones for 10 years or longer had double the risk of developing acoustic neuroma and glioma brain tumors, with the highest risk on the same side of the head where they held their phone.
Ipsilateral exposure means using your phone on the same side of your head where a tumor develops. The 2007 Hardell study found this pattern created the highest brain tumor risk, with odds ratios of 2.4 for acoustic neuroma and 2.0 for glioma after 10+ years of use.
Yes, four separate studies in the 2007 meta-analysis found increased acoustic neuroma risk in people who used cell phones for at least 10 years. Even one study that found no increased risk still showed significantly larger tumor sizes among phone users.
The 2007 research found increased risk specifically for acoustic neuroma (benign tumors) and glioma (malignant tumors) after 10+ years of cell phone use. All six studies examining malignant brain tumors in long-term users showed increased odds ratios, especially for same-side exposure.
The study analyzed 16 case-control studies but noted most results were based on low numbers of long-term users. While acknowledging methodological limitations in some research, the authors found a consistent pattern of increased brain tumor risk across multiple independent studies.