Danish Researchers: No Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Cancer
The British Medical Journal published a study conducted by scientific researchers at the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Denmark that concludes there is no link between cell phones and brain cancer.
BMJ reports the study, involving 350,000 mobile phone subscribers, is the largest yet conducted on the subject. The research compared brain tumor rates between subscribers and nonsubscribers between 1990 and 2007, focusing on people over the age of 30.
The study refutes last summer’s assertion by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer that cell-phone use should be classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” to the same degree as lead, chloroform, and coffee. A subsequent epidemiological study released by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection also refuted the WHO’s analysis. The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission also have stated there is no scientific link between cell-phone use and carcinogenic tumors.
Mobile-phone use has risen considerably since the devices were introduced in the early 1980s. It’s estimated nearly 5 billion cell phones are currently in use. The devices were allegedly linked to brain tumors, glioma, and meningioma.
“Use of Mobile Phones and Risk of Brain Tumours: Update of Danish Cohort Study,” British Medical Journal, October 20, 2011: http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d6387