The case of acoustic neuroma: Comment on: Mobile phone use and risk of brain neoplasms and other cancers

摘要

Benson et al. recently published in this journal analyses of the Million Women Study to study tumour incidence in relation to the use of mobile phones. Based on their analyses of this exceptionally large and valuable cohort, the authors concluded that their study did not show any increased incidence of glioma, meningioma or non-CNS cancers. However, it is surprising that the important positive finding of their study showing a statistically significant increased risk of acoustic neuroma [relative risk (RR) 2.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-5.64] with long-term (10+) use of mobile phones was not included in the conclusion section of the abstract and was only discussed after pooling with the Danish prospective cohort in the conclusion section of the paper. This is surprising given that the finding provides further support for the Working Group of the IARC monograph programme conclusion to classify radio frequency electromagnetic fields as 'possibly carcinogenic to humans' (Group 2B) based on limited evidence from epidemiological studies for acoustic neuroma (and glioma, but not meningioma). The finding itself is further strengthened by an observed clear dose-response association; with RR=1.00 (0.54-1.82) for <5 years of use, RR= 1.80 (1.08-3.03) for 5-9 years of use and finally RR = 2.46 for 10+ years of use.