The WHO has just released a major review, concluding that there is no link between mobile phone use and an increased risk of brain cancer. This comes after a comprehensive study that evaluated data from dozens of studies around the world, despite the dramatic increase in the use of wireless technology.
There is no evidence that mobile phone use increases the risk of brain cancer, according to a new review commissioned by the WHO. The study analyzed published data from around the world and concluded that even people who use their phones for long periods of time or make frequent long phone calls do not experience an increased risk of developing brain cancer.
The review, published on September 3, found that despite the rapid growth and popularity of wireless technology, there was no corresponding increase in the incidence of brain cancer, even among people who had used their phones for more than a decade.
The final study included the results of 63 studies between 1994 and 2022, involving 11 investigators from 10 different countries, including the Australian Government's radiation protection agency.
Mark Elwood, professor of cancer epidemiology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and co-author of the study, said the study looked at the impact of radio frequencies, not just from mobile phones but also from other devices such as TVs, baby monitors and radar.
This review looked at brain cancers in both adults and children, as well as cancers of the pituitary gland, salivary glands and leukaemia, and the risks associated with the use of mobile phones, base stations or transmitters, as well as occupational exposure. Other cancers will be reported separately.
The review follows similar studies that have previously been conducted. The WHO and other international health agencies have previously said there is no conclusive evidence of harmful effects from radiation from mobile phones, but have called for further research.
Currently, radiation from cell phones is still classified as “possibly carcinogenic,” or group 2B, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a classification used when a potential link cannot be completely ruled out.
The agency's advisory group has called for the classification to be reassessed as soon as possible, based on new data since the last assessment in 2011.
The WHO's official assessment is expected to be published in the first quarter of next year, aiming to provide more detailed and reliable information on the link between mobile phones and brain cancer.
