Barran Press
A new review commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) has found no evidence to support a link between mobile phone use and an increased risk of brain cancer.
The review, published Tuesday, analyzed available global evidence on the potential connection between mobile phone use and brain cancer. Despite the dramatic increase in wireless communication technology usage, the review found no corresponding rise in brain cancer cases. This finding holds true even for individuals who make frequent calls or have used mobile phones for over a decade.
The comprehensive analysis encompassed 63 studies conducted between 1994 and 2022, evaluated by 11 research institutions from 10 countries, including Australia's government radiation protection agency.
Co-author of the study, Mark Elwood, professor of cancer epidemiology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, explained that the review assessed the impact of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) used in mobile phones, televisions, baby monitors, and radars.
"None of the major issues investigated showed an increase in risk," Elwood stated.
The review examined brain cancers in adults and children, as well as pituitary and salivary gland cancers, leukemia, and risks associated with mobile phone use, transmitters, broadcasting stations, and occupational exposure.
This review follows similar efforts by the WHO and other international health organizations, which previously stated that there is no conclusive evidence of harmful health effects from radiation emitted by mobile phones. However, they called for further research.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) currently classifies these radiations as "possibly carcinogenic to humans," or category 2B, a classification used when a potential link cannot be ruled out.
The IARC's advisory group has called for a re-evaluation of this classification as soon as possible, considering new data released since its last assessment in 2011
The WHO's evaluation is expected to be released in the first quarter of next year.