Before you read one more word, please recognize that I am not an impartial observer when it comes to radio frequency [RF] and electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation. I recently wrote about microwave weapons, the Havana Syndrome and EMF at this link. You will learn that I have been pursuing research on this topic for more than 50 years. That said, there are two reports out this week about mobile phone use and health consequences. One from the World Health Organization (WHO) rejected a cellphone brain cancer risk (Environmental International, Aug. 30, 2024). The other reported an increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with cellphones (Canadian Journal of Cardiology, Sept. 4, 2024).
No Cellphone Brain Cancer Risk:
The World Health Organization (WHO) commissioned an analysis of mobile phone use and brain cancer. That’s because much of the world now depends upon cellphone technology to communicate. There are over 8 billion cellphone subscriptions in the world today.
In May 2011 the WHO described radiofrequency (RF) radiation as:
“…possibly carcinogenic for humans, based on an increased risk for glioma, a type of brain cancer.”
Needless to say, this announcement caused a considerable amount of concern since cell phones communicate using radio waves.
Cellphone Brain Cancer Risk Rejected:
Fast forward more than a decade. The latest review of research was conducted by experts from 10 different countries including Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, Ghana, Italy and Portugal.
The title of the analysis was:
“The effect of exposure to radiofrequency fields on cancer risk in the general and working population”
The authors of this “systematic review of human observational studies” analyzed 63 studies. They were culled from over 5,000 reports published between 1994 and 2022.
Here was their goal:
“The objective of this review was to assess the quality and strength of the evidence provided by human observational studies for a causal association between exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) and risk of the most investigated neoplastic diseases.”
The Conclusions:
Cell phone use by individuals:
“For near field RF-EMF exposure to the head from mobile phone use, there was moderate certainty evidence that it likely does not increase the risk of glioma, meningioma, acoustic neuroma, pituitary tumours, and salivary gland tumours in adults, or of paediatric brain tumours.”
Cordless phone use by individuals:
“For near field RF-EMF exposure to the head from cordless phone use, there was low certainty evidence that it may not increase the risk of glioma, meningioma or acoustic neuroma.”
Exposure to towers and/or transmitters
“For whole-body far-field RF-EMF exposure from fixed-site transmitters (broadcasting antennas or base stations), there was moderate certainty evidence that it likely does not increase childhood leukaemia risk and low certainty evidence that it may not increase the risk of paediatric brain tumours. There were no studies eligible for inclusion investigating RF-EMF exposure from fixed-site transmitters and critical tumours in adults.”
The Bottom Line on the Cellphone Brain Cancer Risk:
Wading through a very dense scientific paper leads me to the following conclusions:
- Even with prolonged exposure to cellphone technology (at least 10 years), the risk of brain cancer was not elevated.
- With so many people exposed to so many cellphones for so long, one might have anticipated an explosion in brain cancers. If there were a cellphone brain cancer risk, we should have detected it by now.
- What about cellphone towers? These transmitters receive and transmit calls and text messages from here to there and back. They have sprouted like mushrooms after a spring rain. They are in cities on apartment buildings and in rural areas on towers.
- Everyone wants a strong cellphone connection! The researchers concluded that radio frequency and electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation from such towers/transmitters do not pose an increased of cancer.
- From my perspective, there was one critical data point that was missing from this analysis, though. Decades ago I called for research on localized tumors and ear preference. Most people have a preferred ear for listening to a phone conversation. If there were a cellphone brain cancer risk, one should be able to detect an increased risk on the dominant side.
The authors discounted any such studies with the following statement:
“Another exposure metric commonly used in studies of mobile phone use and risk of CNS tumours is the preferred side of the head for mobile phone use assessed retrospectively through self-reports, which is affected by substantial misclassification and recall bias. Due to such a poor validity, self-reported laterality of mobile phone use was not included among the exposure metrics and contrasts examined in our systematic review.”
I find that explanation disappointing. I believe that most people are absolutely capable of reporting their preferred ear for listening on a cellphone. I find the authors rationale for not including such research because of “misclassification and recall bias” unconvincing.
What About Cellphones and Cardiovascular Risks?
The study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology (Sept. 4, 2024) involved over 444,000 people with a follow-up of more than 12 years. Of that number, over 56,000 developed cardiovascular disease [CVD]. Regular mobile phone use increased CVD risks, especially among smokers and people with diabetes.
Here is the bottom line in the words of the authors:
Conclusion:
“Regular mobile phone use was significantly related to an increased risk of incident CVD [cardiovascular disease] and increased CIMT [carotid intima-media thickness], particularly in those with a longer weekly mobile phone usage time. The relationship between weekly mobile phone usage time and incident CVD was partly mediated by sleep patterns, psychologic distress, and neuroticism. If further confirmed, this study encourages measures to decrease the time spent on mobile phones for promoting the primary prevention of CVD events, such as facilitating the mobile phones’ function of displaying and reminding mobile phone users of mobile phone usage time. On the other hand, improving sleep and mental health status may help reduce the higher risk of CVD associated with mobile phone use.”
One might assume from that conclusion that the negative health effects of cellphone usage is primarily related to problematic mental health and poor sleep. That’s not exactly the whole picture.
The authors note in their introduction:
“Mobile phones emit radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs), which could induce hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis deregulation, inflammatory reaction, and oxidative stress, and therefore are expected to affect various organs, such as heart and blood vessels.”
The study notes that:
“…regular mobile phone use and a longer weekly mobile phone usage time were associated with a higher risk of increased CIMT [carotid intima-media thickness], which is a clinical measure of carotid atherosclerosis. This suggests a role of mobile phone use in vascular damage, which may be one of the mechanisms by which mobile phone use affects the risk of CVD.”
When carotid arteries get thicker, it is not a good sign. If cellphone exposure is indeed linked to carotid artery thickness, that is cause for concern.
Final Words:
It is comforting to learn that cellphone use is not causing an epidemic of brain cancer. We still want to see better studies that compare the incidence of brain cancers/tumors or acoustic neuromas on the side of the head where people hold their cell phone compared to the the “non-preferred” side.
The cardiovascular disease risk and cellphone exposure took me a bit by surprise. Then again, when I was in graduate school in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan over 50 years ago I knew another grad student who was studying the impact of radio frequency [RF] and electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation on cardiovascular physiology. He believed there was a link. Now, decades later that appears to be the case.
If you think this overview is worth sharing with friends and/or family, please send it along. We are grateful for your support. You may also wish to read our in-depth report on microwave weapons, the Havana Syndrome and EMF at this link. When you review this article, you will understand why I have been so interested in this topic for so long.
