Published on May 27, 2016 in Brain Tumor Information, Research
Why there is little cause for heightened alarm based on these new results
On Friday, May 27, results from a highly anticipated, $25 million study conducted by the US National Toxicology Program hit the headlines and reignited the well-known debate about the connection between cellphone use and developing brain cancer. Here’s how leading health and life science publication STAT put it:
A major new [animal] study out this morning finds there’s a connection between cell phone exposure and two types of cancer. The peer-reviewed, longitudinal study — which was conducted by the National Toxicology program — exposed rats to the same type of radiation found in cell phones. Total-body exposure to radiofrequency radiation was tied to higher incidence of gliomas in the brain and schwannomas in the heart, and researchers say there’s likely a direct connection between the two.
Attribution: STAT
However, as the article (and others that followed) note, there are a number of caveats with this study, which should give pause to drawing any drastic conclusions. NBTS spoke to a number of experts in the field of brain tumor epidemiology and glioma risk and compiled the following:
Overall, throughout the years there have been conflicting results about whether cellphones cause brain tumors, because of various study designs, methodology, and sample size –but the prevailing sentiment from experts in this field, was that there is no definitive link…or at least, we could not yet definitively say either way.
Bottom line, this new animal study – despite generating even more mainstream media attention than others in the past have – does little to advance a consensus forward in either direction. As such, the National Brain Tumor Society’s position on cellphone risk remains the same:
“The latest studies have not been able to definitively conclude a direct link between cell phone usage and brain tumors in humans, but it has not been ruled out either. Most of these studies report correlations, and not actual causation, therefore other factors that are hard to account for may be affecting that results. Additionally, many studies in the past have not taken into account the latest technology and change in how cell phones are used. It is also of note that the incidence rate for brain tumors has not increased in the past decade. Thus, without conclusive results, the National Brain Tumor Society can not say that cell phones cause brain tumors, and can only encourage continued further research into this topic. We also would encourage any individuals who are concerned about emissions from their cellular phones to consider using a headset, as per World Health Organization recommendations.”
Further suggested reading:
TAGGED WITH: brain cancer, brain tumor, glioma