Ever since the mobile phone was first introduced, there have been those that claimed the electromagnetic radiation they broadcast and receive was causing cancer, particularly brain tumours.
There have been many studies into the subject over the years, and now one ‘definitive’ study has gone over those papers to determine once and for all whether mobile phone use causes cancer – and found “no increased risk of cancer” from frequent use.
The findings, which will be published in the Environmental International journal, apply regardless of how long people spend on the phone or how many years they’ve been using them.
The study was carried out by 11 researchers from 10 countries (including Australia) commissioned and part-funded by the World Health Organization.
The researchers looked at more than 5000 papers examining the effects of mobile phone radiation between 1994 and 2022.
They examined whether electromagnetic energy increased incidents of three types of brain cancer, as well as cancer of the pituitary gland, salivary glands, and blood.
Dr Ken Karipidis, co-author of the study, told The Age that concerns about the impact of mobile phone radiation were widespread and persistent, and this comprehensive review had been designed to answer the question once and for all.
“We’ve been talking about this issue for the last 30 years,” he said.
“There have been many studies in the past that have had contrary conclusions so it’s important to combine all the evidence and really let people know what’s really going on.
“The evidence does not show a link between mobile phone use and brain cancer or other head and neck cancers.”
“We also found no association with prolonged use, so if people use their mobile phones for 10 years or more, we didn’t find an association, and we also found no association with the amount of mobile phone use, either the number of phone calls that people make or the time that people spend on the phone.”
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