Reference no: EM133369726

Case Study: Human exposure to radiofrequency radiation has increased dramatically during recent years from widespread use of mobile phones. If radiofrequency radiation has a carcinogenic effect, the exposure poses an important public health problem, and intracranial tumors would be of primary interest. A biologic mechanism that could explain any possible carcinogenic effect from radiofrequency radiation has not been identified. It is generally agreed that the heating of tissue by radiofrequency radiation from mobile phone use is negligible and that any carcinogenic effect would have to be mediated through a nonthermal mechanism. The results of most previous studies of brain tumors in mobile phone users have been negative (1, 2), although a Finnish study and a Swedish study have indicated an increased risk (3, 4). Studies of ionizing radiation (5) have indicated that the induction period of radiation-induced solid tumors is probably at least 10 years. If, however, the mechanism is one of promotion rather than initiation, a shorter induction period would be possible. No studies to date have had an exposure time long enough to properly address the potential adverse late health effects of mobile phone use.

Handheld mobile phones were introduced in Sweden during the late 1980s and were in common use relatively early. This makes the Swedish population suitable for a study aiming at testing the hypothesis that long-term mobile phone use increases the risk of brain tumors. The specific aim of this study was to investigate the association between mobile phone use and the risk of glioma and meningioma, the two most common types of intracranial tumors. The Swedish study of brain tumors reported here is part of the INTERPHONE Study (6). We have previously reported results for acoustic neuroma (7).

Question. How did the investigators in this study measure the exposure?