Mobile operators welcome publication of Interphone study

17 May 2010

MOA welcomes today’s publication of an overall analysis of a multi national, population-based, case-control study of glioma and meningioma in the International Journal of Epidemiology. It is the first in a series of overall analyses of head and neck tumours, published as part of the internationally coordinated Interphone project.

In the present study, the authors reported the following conclusion:
“Overall, no increase in risk of glioma or meningioma was observed with use of mobile phones. There were suggestions of an increased risk of glioma at the highest exposure levels, but biases and error prevent a causal interpretation. The possible effects of long-term heavy use of mobile phones require further investigation.”

In the press release accompanying the release of the paper, Dr Christopher Wild, Director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said: "An increased risk of brain cancer is not established from the data from Interphone.”
He went on to say that further investigation of mobile phone use and brain cancer risk was merited because of changing patterns of mobile phone use since the period studied by Interphone.

John Cooke, Executive Director of the Mobile Operators Association, said: “The overall Interphone conclusion of no increased riskis consistent with the significant existing body of research reporting no health risk from using mobile phones.”

“The industry is supporting the international COSMOS study (Cohort Study on Mobile Phone Use and Health) into long-term use of mobile phones and health.”

The mobile phone industry takes all questions regarding the safety of mobile phones seriously and we have a strong commitment to supporting ongoing scientific research – such as the Interphone project. This project has been funded by the mobile phone industry jointly with governments and national health agencies in a way that ensures complete scientific independence.

All mobile phones sold comply with international health and safety exposure guidelines.

 Note to Editors

1. The Mobile Operators Association (MOA) was set up to represent the five UK mobile phone network operators – 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone – on radio frequency health and planning issues. The MOA website is: www.mobilemastinfo.com

2. Brain tumours are relatively rare; gliomas and meningiomas are the two most common types.  Tumours of the brain account for less than 2% of all cancers diagnosed in the UK. 

3. “Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case-control study” is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. This study is the overall analysis of the national data on glioma and meningioma collected as part of the 13 country Interphone project coordinated by IARC. As these diseases are rare, large numbers of subjects are needed for accuracy.

4. IARC has scheduled a comprehensive review of the carcinogenic potential of radiofrequency radiation, including mobile phone use, under the auspices of its Monographs Programme. The review, due in May 2011, will consider all published epidemiological and experimental evidence, including the new data from the Interphone study.

5. For more information please contact Christine Jude 0207 331 2029, 07714 241924, email christinejude@ukmoa.org