INTERPHONE study released: Heavy mobile users risk cancer

Time Online reports on the first in a series of combined data analyses of head and neck tumours published as part of the internationally coordinated INTERPHONE project, a 10-year study — the largest of its kind, compiling research from 13 countries, overseen by the World Health Organisation.

Results of the much anticipated report have been delayed over time as researchers disagreed over how to interpret the data. Below are excerpts from the report:

People who use their mobile phones for at least 30 minutes a day for 10 years have a greater risk of developing brain cancer.

The chance of suffering from a malignant tumour is increased by more than a third with prolonged use.

The results of the study, which will be published this week, show that only those in the “heaviest user” category are at increased risk of developing glioma tumours, a type of brain cancer.

This category, however, includes anyone who regularly uses their handset for more than 30 minutes a day.

They concluded that there was no increased risk of cancer in other users.

The scientists have admitted that more research will be needed because of their broad categorisation of heavy phone use and also because phone users under the age of 30 were excluded from the study.

Some of the questions raised by the Interphone research are puzzling. The statistics appear to show that at lower levels of usage, mobile phones actually protect against cancer, something that even the study’s authors reject as implausible.

Critics of the Interphone study, which was based on interviews with more than 5,000 brain cancer victims, claim omissions and errors have left it deeply flawed.

Read full article and Interphone press release.

Controversial: - “Cellphones and Brain Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern, Science, Spin and the Truth Behind Interphone

Interesting, the different (and contradictory) headlines on the study:

CELL PHONES LINKED TO CANCER HEADLINES

-- Ten-year worldwide study links mobile phone use to cancer - The Daily Mail

-- Study links mobile phone use to brain tumours - Scotsman

-- Heavy mobile users risk cancer - Time Online

-- Study can't rule out brain cancer link to mobiles - The Sydney Morning Herald

-- Landmark study set to show potential dangers of heavy mobile phone use - The Telegraph

-- Heavy use of cell phones may increase tumour risk: study - The Globe and Mail

CELL PHONE CANCER RISK INCONCLUSIVE HEADLINES

-- Study: Cell phone-brain cancer link inconclusive - AP

-- WHO study has no clear answer on phones and cancer - Reuters

-- INTERPHONE finds no increased risk of brain cancer from mobile phone use - Wire Up Date

-- Largest cellphone-cancer study to date clarifies little - arstechnica

-- 10-year Cell Phone Cancer Study Proves Nothing but a Major Waste of Time - Digital Trends

-- Phone-cancer link 'inconclusive' - BBC

-- Study finds no link in cell phone use, brain tumors - CNN

BEST BALANCED ARTICLE

-- Cell Phones and Cancer: a Study's Muddled Findings TIME

BEST ANALYSIS

-- Mobile phones: Is there an epidemic on hold? - The Telegraph

emily | 3:30 PM | Health Issues and SMS Alerts |
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