1323: New study on acoustic neuromas
From Cindy Sage to the CHEEMF list:
A new study from Japan reports a three-fold increased risk for acoustic neuroma in cell phone users who used cell phones for more than 20 minutes per day (the heaviest use category defined) five years before diagnosis. The risk is significant. Ipsilateral use increases the risk.
“Increased risk of acoustic neuroma was observed in cases who reported having used mobile phones on the affected ear for >20 min/day on average. Risk ratio was 2.74 (95% CI, 1.18″”7.85) for use until 1 year before diagnosis and 3.08 (95% CI, 1.47″”7.41) for use until 5 years before
diagnosis.
In conclusion, we found an increased risk of acoustic neuroma in the more frequently used ear for heavy mobile phone users with an average daily call duration >20 min. This increased risk should be interpreted with caution, as detection and recall biases could distort the results away from the null hypothesis. However, we could not identify any convincing evidence for biases that would entirely explain the observed increase of tumors, leaving open the possibility that mobile phone use increased the risk of acoustic neuroma. Further analysis is warranted to confirm our findings and to explore mechanisms underlying the observed association.”
A Case-Case Study of Mobile Phone Use and
Acoustic Neuroma Risk in Japan
Yasuto Sato,1 Suminori Akiba,2 Osami Kubo,3 and NaohitoYamaguchi1*
1Department of Public Health, School ofMedicine,TokyoWomen”™sMedical University,
Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo, Japan
2Department of Epidemiology and PreventiveMedicine, Kagoshima University Graduate
School ofMedical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima City, Kagoshima, Japan
3Department of Neurosurgery, School ofMedicine,TokyoWomen”™sMedical University,
Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo, Japan
Bioelectromagnetics
DOI 10.1002/bem.20616
Published online in Wiley Online Library
Abstract
Results of case””control studies of mobile phone use and acoustic neuroma have been inconsistent.We
conducted a case””case study of mobile phone use and acoustic neuroma using a self-administered
postal questionnaire. A total of 1589 cases identified in 22 hospitals throughout Japan were invited to
participate, and 787 cases (51%) actually participated. Associations between laterality of mobile
phone use prior to the reference dates (1 and 5 years before diagnosis) and tumor location were
analyzed. The overall risk ratio was 1.08 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.93″”1.28) for regular mobile
phone use until 1 year before diagnosis and 1.14 (95% CI, 0.96″”1.40) for regular mobile phone use
until 5 years before diagnosis. A significantly increased risk was identified for mobile phone use for
>20 min/day on average, with risk ratios of 2.74 at 1 year before diagnosis, and 3.08 at 5 years before
diagnosis. Cases with ipsilateral combination of tumor location and more frequently used ear were
found to have tumors with smaller diameters, suggesting an effect of detection bias. Furthermore,
analysis of the distribution of left and right tumors suggested an effect of tumor-side-related recall bias
for recall of mobile phone use at 5 years before diagnosis. The increased risk identified for mobile
phone users with average call duration >20 min/day should be interpreted with caution, taking into
account the possibilities of detection and recall biases. However, we could not conclude that the
increased risk was entirely explicable by these biases, leaving open the possibility that mobile phone
use increased the risk of acoustic neuroma.
Bioelectromagnetics 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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