No Increase in Brain Tumors from Cell Phone Use

Posted on December 7, 2009 in Health & Medicine, Recent Studies, Technology

New findings published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute support evidence that cell phones don’t cause brain cancer. The 30-year Scandinavian study found that there was no substantial rise in brain tumors, even after widespread use of cell phones.

A group from the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology at the Danish Cancer Center in Copenhagen collected data on 60,000 people diagnosed with glioma and meningioma between 1974 and 2003. Study subjects were from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Incidences of tumors over the 30-year period were stable, decreased or gradually increased, starting before cell phones gained popularity.

However, the researchers cautioned that cell phones may have not been around long enough to see an increase in brain tumors. The increase might be too small to be noticed in the population, one of the lead researchers said.

The team will continue to study the rates of brain tumor increase in the original study group. In the meantime, feel free to whip out your Blackberry and share the news.