Synoptic Analysis of Epidemiologic Evidence of Brain Cancer Risks from Mobile Communication

Norbert Leitgeb^*

Institute of Health Care Engineering with European Notified Body of Medical Devices, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.

DOI: 10.4236/jemaa.2014.614043                

Abstract

In the radio frequency (RF) range concern about long-term health risks from electromagnetic fields (EMF) is enhanced by contradictory results and conclusions from epidemiologic studies. A new approach of a synoptic analysis of all available data from epidemiological studies published since 2001 was performed. This approach provided new insight with regard to a potential link between mobile phone use and brain cancer. Two quite different data pools could be identified with numerous studies from one research group opposing all other studies. However, it could be shown that with the number of exposed cases both data pools exhibit a clear trend of risk estimates (odds ratios) towards the final result, namely a reduced cancer risk of OR = 0.8, though from either side of the zero-risk line. The analysis of potential long-term effects indicated by a dosedependence revealed diverging results with different dose metrics. Overall, the synoptic analysis supports reassuring rather than alarming conclusions on RF EMF health risks from mobile telecommunication.

Keywords

Health Risk, Long-Term Effect, Carcinogenicity, Electromagnetic Field, Mobile Phone

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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