Incidence of breast cancer in Norwegian female radio and telegraph operators.
Tynes T, Hannevik M, Andersen A, Vistnes AI, Haldorsen T · 1996
View Original AbstractFemale radio operators showed 50% higher breast cancer rates, suggesting occupational EMF exposure may increase hormone-sensitive cancer risk.
Plain English Summary
Norwegian researchers tracked 2,619 female radio and telegraph operators from 1920 to 1980, comparing their breast cancer rates to the general population. They found these women had a 50% higher risk of developing breast cancer, particularly after age 50. The operators were exposed to radio frequency radiation, night shift work, and some extremely low frequency fields during their careers.
Why This Matters
This Norwegian study represents one of the earliest investigations into occupational EMF exposure and breast cancer risk, and its findings remain significant today. The 50% increased breast cancer risk among radio operators is particularly noteworthy because these women worked with equipment that produced relatively low-power radio frequency emissions compared to modern wireless devices. What makes this research compelling is its long-term approach, tracking women across six decades, and its focus on a specific occupational group with known EMF exposure. The study also highlights the potential role of melatonin disruption, as EMF exposure may interfere with this hormone's cancer-protective effects. While the researchers couldn't separate the effects of EMF exposure from shift work and light exposure at night, the findings contribute to a growing body of evidence suggesting that chronic EMF exposure may increase cancer risk, particularly hormone-sensitive cancers like breast cancer.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
the aim of this study is to investigate Incidence of breast cancer in Norwegian female radio and telegraph operators.
We have studied breast cancer incidence in female radio and telegraph operators with potential expos...
The incidence of all cancers was close to unity (SIR = 1.2). An excess risk was seen for breast canc...
These results support a possible association between work as a radio and telegraph operator and breast cancer. Future epidemiologic studies on breast cancer in women aged 50 and over, should address possible disturbances of chronobiological parameters by environmental factors.
Show BibTeX
@article{t_1996_incidence_of_breast_cancer_2641,
author = {Tynes T and Hannevik M and Andersen A and Vistnes AI and Haldorsen T},
title = {Incidence of breast cancer in Norwegian female radio and telegraph operators.},
year = {1996},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8740732/#:~:text=Cancer%20incidence%20was%20analyzed%20on,cancer%20(SIR%20%3D%201.5).},
}