A study commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that there is no evidence that cell phone use can increase the risk of brain cancer. The study reviewed extensive studies on the subject conducted between 1994 and 2022, and the conclusions were published in the scientific journal Environment International.
In 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as a possible carcinogen. This raised the alarm about the possibility that cell phone use could cause brain cancer, but until then, this association had not been scientifically proven.
In view of this, the WHO commissioned the systematic review of 63 previously published studies to understand the potential health effects of radio wave exposure. The analysis found no association between cell phone use and head cancers, including glioma, meningioma, acoustic neuroma, pituitary tumors and salivary gland tumors in adults and pediatric brain tumors.
“When the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radio wave exposure as a possible human carcinogen in 2013, it relied largely on limited evidence from observational studies in humans,” says Professor Ken Karipidis of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), who led the review. He says it is the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the evidence on the subject to date.
“This systematic review of human observational studies is based on a much larger dataset than the one reviewed by IARC, which also includes more recent and comprehensive studies, so we can be more confident that exposure to radio waves from wireless technology is not a risk to human health,” he adds.
The professor further explains that the results of the study are in line with previous research conducted by ARPANSA. According to the researcher, although the use of wireless technology has increased in the last 20 years, there has been no increase in the incidence of brain cancer.
In light of the study results, WHO is preparing an Environmental Health Criteria Monograph on the health effects of exposure to radio waves. The document will be based on the findings of the study and other reviews commissioned by the organization.
This content was originally published in Do Cell Phones Increase the Risk of Brain Cancer? WHO Study Responds on CNN Brasil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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