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Evaluation of Mobile Phone and Cordless Phone Use and Glioma Risk Using the Bradford Hill Viewpoints from 1965 on Association or Causation.

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Carlberg M, Hardell L. · 2017

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The authors applied Bradford Hill's viewpoints and concluded that RF radiation should be regarded as a human carcinogen causing glioma.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

The authors evaluated glioma risk from mobile and cordless phone use using Bradford Hill's viewpoints. All nine viewpoints were evaluated based on epidemiology and laboratory studies. A meta-analysis of case-control studies found an odds ratio of 1.90 (95% CI 1.31-2.76) with highest cumulative exposure. Risk increased with latency, with an OR of 1.62 (95% CI 1.20-2.19) for 10+ years latency. Highest risk was in the 20+ years latency group, OR 2.01 (95% CI 1.41-2.88) for wireless phones.

Why This Matters

Specificity was addressed by noting that the increased glioma risk was located in the temporal lobe and persisted when meningioma cases were used as a comparison group. A biological gradient was observed, with cumulative use of wireless phones increasing the risk. The plausibility viewpoint also cited increased production of reactive oxygen species from RF radiation. Coherence was supported by a reported change in the natural history of glioma and increasing incidence. Experimental evidence showed that antioxidants reduced ROS production from RF radiation. An analogy was drawn from the increased risk observed in subjects exposed to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields.

Study Details

Bradford Hill's viewpoints from 1965 on association or causation were used on glioma risk and use of mobile or cordless phones.

All nine viewpoints were evaluated based on epidemiology and laboratory studies

Strength: meta-analysis of case-control studies gave odds ratio (OR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval...

RF radiation should be regarded as a human carcinogen causing glioma.

Cite This Study
Carlberg M, Hardell L. (2017). Evaluation of Mobile Phone and Cordless Phone Use and Glioma Risk Using the Bradford Hill Viewpoints from 1965 on Association or Causation. Biomed Res Int. 2017:9218486, 2017.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2017_evaluation_of_mobile_phone_1952,
  author = {Carlberg M and Hardell L.},
  title = {Evaluation of Mobile Phone and Cordless Phone Use and Glioma Risk Using the Bradford Hill Viewpoints from 1965 on Association or Causation.},
  year = {2017},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28401165/},
}
PubMed: 28401165

Cited By (99 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

The meta-analysis of case-control studies gave an odds ratio of 1.90 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.31 to 2.76 for highest cumulative exposure.
Risk increased with latency; the meta-analysis gave an odds ratio of 1.62 (95% CI 1.20-2.19) for 10+ years latency and 2.01 (95% CI 1.41-2.88) for 20+ years latency for wireless phones.
Animal studies showed an increased incidence of glioma and malignant schwannoma in rats exposed to radiofrequency radiation.
The authors concluded that RF radiation should be regarded as a human carcinogen causing glioma.
All nine Bradford Hill viewpoints were evaluated based on epidemiology and laboratory studies.