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09 October 2017

Brain Tumor Rates Are Rising in the US: The Role of Cell Phone & Cordless Phone Use

Brain Tumor Rates Are Rising in the US: The Role of Cell Phone & Cordless Phone Use
saferemr.com, 5 October 2017

For additional evidence that cellphone and cordless phone use increase
brain tumor risk and that brain tumor incidence has been increasing in the U.S.
see "Should Cellphones Have Warning Labels?" and STORYLINE vs. REST-OF-THE-STORY:

Brain cancer incidence, cellphone use, and trends data
Hardell and Carlberg (2015) reported that brain tumor rates have been increasing in Sweden based upon the Swedish National Inpatient Registry data. Hardell and Carlberg (2017) reported that brain tumors of unknown type increased from 2007-2015, especially in the age group 20-39 years of age. According to the authors, "This may be explained by higher risk for brain tumor in subjects with first use of a wireless phone before the age of 20 years taking a reasonable latency period."

What about brain tumor rates in the United States?

The incidence of glioma, the most common malignant brain tumor, has been increasing in recent years in the United States, although not across-the-board. The National Cancer Institute reported that glioma incidence in the frontal lobe increased among young adults 20-29 years of age (Inskip et al., 2010).

The incidence of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which accounts for about half of all gliomas, increased in the frontal and temporal lobes, and in the cerebellum among adults in the U.S. from 1992-2006 (Zada et al., 2012).

The Cancer Prevention Institute of California (2016) in their annual report about cancer incidence in the greater San Francisco Bay Area noted that the incidence of GBM increased from 1988-2013 among non-Hispanic white male (0.7% per year) and female adults (1.1% per year) and remained stable among other race/ethnic groups.

Using national tumor registry data, a recent study found that the overall incidence of meningioma, the most common non-malignant brain tumor, has increased in the United States in recent years (Dolecek et al., 2015). The age-adjusted incidence rate for meningioma increased from about 6.3 per 100,000 in 2004 to about 7.8 per 100,000 in 2009. Brain tumor incidence increased for all age groups except youth (0-19 years of age).

Risk of glioma from cell phone and cordless phone use

Three independent, case-control studies have found that long-term use of cell phones increases risk for glioma (Interphone Study Group, 2010; Hardell et al, 2013; Coureau et al, 2014). The only research to examine cordless phone use also found increased glioma risk with long-term use (Hardell et al, 2013). These studies include data from 13 nations: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK. After ten years of wireless phone use (i.e., cell phone plus cordless phone use), the risk of glioma doubles and after 25 years, the risk triples (Hardell et al, 2013).

Although the U.S. does not conduct research on wireless phone use and tumor risk in humans and does not participate in the international studies, there is no reason to believe that Americans are immune to these potential effects of wireless phone use.

In sum, the peer-reviewed research on brain tumor risk and wireless phone use strongly suggests that we should exercise precaution and keep cell phones and cordless phones away from our heads. Moreover, the research calls into question the adequacy of national and international guidelines that limit the amount of microwave radiation emitted by cell phones and cordless phones.

Continue reading:
http://www.saferemr.com/2015/05/brain-tumor-rates-are-rising-in-us-role.html

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