Long-term use of cellular phones and brain tumours - increased risk associated with use for > 10 years.
Hardell LO, Carlberg M, Soderqvist F, Hansson Mild K, Morgan LL · 2007
View Original AbstractTen years of cell phone use doubles brain tumor risk, with tumors appearing on the same side as phone use.
Plain English Summary
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.
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/},
}