CancerNet from the National Cancer Institute ****************************************************************************** * CANCER FACTS * * National Cancer Institute * * National Institutes of Health * ****************************************************************************** Cellular Phone Use Included in Upcoming Study of Brain Tumor Risks As part of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) overall research on brain cancer risk factors, studies are under way to examine the potential risk from the nonionizing electromagnetic radiation released by cellular telephones. "To date, there have been no definitive studies linking cellular telephones to brain cancer, and there is no need to panic," said Richard Adamson, Ph.D., director of NCI's Division of Cancer Etiology. "Studies under way at NCI and others supported by NCI will provide information to clarify this concern." NCI scientists are evaluating existing databases for information that may be important in this research. "More analytic work will also be carried out, such as case-control studies and cohort investigations of exposed populations," said Dr. Adamson. "But the major effort will be a comprehensive case-control study to assess the exposures of adults recently diagnosed with brain cancer." This study, to be initiated within the year, will evaluate exposures from a wide variety of sources, including electromagnetic fields. The potential risks of cellular phones will be thoroughly assessed, with information obtained on the type of telephone (hand-held portable or car phone) and the frequency and duration of use. The NCI study will be headed by intramural researchers and carried out with the use of contracts. Additional studies may be performed later using other funding mechanisms. Previous NCI and NCI-funded epidemiologic studies have linked the risk for brain cancer with exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation (such as x-rays and gamma rays, which can cause chromosomal changes), occupational exposure to organic solvents and some pesticides, and employment in electrical and electronics-related jobs. Genetic factors, including Li-Fraumeni syndrome and neurofibromatosis, have also been implicated, while studies in laboratory animals have found that certain chemicals and DNA viruses can also cause brain tumors. Estimates are that about 17,500 Americans will be diagnosed as having cancer of the brain or central nervous system this year, and 12,100 will die of the disease. The incidence of brain cancer in the United States has increased about 1 percent per year since 1973, and the death rate has increased less than 1 percent per year. The increase is seen mainly in people who are 65 years of age or older. For this age group, both the incidence and death rates have increased 3 percent per year since 1973. For people under age 65, the incidence rates increased only 0.5 percent per year while mortality rates have decreased almost 1 percent per year. One factor thought to be contributing to the increased incidence, especially in older Americans, is the introduction of sophisticated scanning equipment capable of diagnosing tumors in the brain without invasive procedures. In the past, older persons dying of brain tumors may also have been misdiagnosed as having had a stroke, creating artificially lower death rates attributed to brain cancer. # # # The Cancer Information Service (CIS), a program of the National Cancer Institute, is a nationwide telephone service for cancer patients and their families, the public, and health care professionals. CIS information specialists have extensive training in providing up-to-date and understandable information about cancer. They can answer questions in English and Spanish and can send free printed material. In addition, CIS offices serve specific geographic areas and have information about cancer-related services and resources in their region. The toll-free number of the CIS is 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). Date Last Modified: 2/93 .