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Research has shown that using a mobile phone for a long time increases the risk of developing malignant and benign tumors, including brain tumors.
Prof. Seung-Kwon Myung, Dean of the Graduate School of International Cancer, National Cancer Center, jointly with Professor Yoon-cheol Hong of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University, and Joel Moskowitz Center Director, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Public Health, a group of 46 patients published in international journals from 1999 to 2015 As a result of meta-analysis of the study, it was revealed on the 15th that it confirmed these results.
The research team synthesized and meta-analyzed the results of 46 patient control studies through literature searches in the major medical databases, PubMed and EMBASE. As a result, there was no significant difference when comparing the relationship between oncogenesis between people who regularly use mobile phones and those who rarely or rarely use mobile phones. However, the results of detailed meta-analysis for each major research group were different. In the research results of the Hadel research team, which published the most research results on this topic, it was found that the use of mobile phones increases the risk of tumors, and a multinational interphone study organized by the International Cancer Institute (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO) Conversely, it showed contradictory results that lowered the risk. Regardless of the group of the research team, a detailed analysis based on the use time showed that the risk of tumor occurrence increased when used for a long period of over 1000 hours of cumulative use time.
Prof. Seung-kwon Myung, who led the study, published the meta-analysis result that cell phone use can increase the risk of cancer in 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, an international journal in oncology. In 2011, IARC gathered experts from around the world to classify electromagnetic waves from mobile phones as possible carcinogens of group 2B. This study is an update of the meta-analysis results, including individual studies published in the last 10 years.
Professor Myung said, “This study supports the results of some laboratory and animal studies that show that high-frequency electromagnetic fields (frequency 800-2000 MHz) exposed when using mobile phones can promote cancer development.” “When all 46 studies were put together, there was no relationship between cell phone use and tumors, but when we conducted detailed analysis by researcher group and by the quality of the study, interesting results came out. The papers published so far can be largely divided into three groups: the Swedish Hadel research team, the IARC multi-national interphone research team, and other individual researchers’ teams. “The interphone research team rather lowered the risk of tumors, and the rest of the research team showed no relevance.”
He said, “After analyzing the reasons for the differences in the results of each research team, it was confirmed that the quality level of the research, the response rate of the research subjects, and the presence or absence of research funding from mobile phone companies are important factors. The Hadel research team’s research was of high quality overall, and there was little difference in response rates between the patient group and the control group, and research funds were not provided from mobile phone companies, whereas interphone research was of low quality and had a large difference in response rate. , I received a research fund from a mobile phone company. That’s why the results of the Hadel research team’s findings that cell phone use increases the risk of tumors can be interpreted as more convincing.” “Regardless of the research team, if the cell phone was used for more than 1000 hours (about 500 minutes per month in terms of 10 years of use), the risk of tumor occurrence was statistically significant,” he explained.
Professor Myung said, “The patient control research method included in this meta-analysis has limitations, so it is necessary to confirm it through a prospective cohort research method with a higher level of evidence.” Even before it is revealed, we recommend that you refrain from using your phone for a long time. In particular, reduce the use of mobile phones in situations where there is a lot of electromagnetic waves such as elevators or moving vehicles, and when using mobile phones, keep 2-3cm away from your face and use earphones with strings as much as possible.”
A paper containing the results of this study was published in the November 2020 issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Reporter Esther [email protected]