1. ¹Section of Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, Brookes Lawley Building, Sutton SM2 5NG, UK
2. ²Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Box 210, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
3. ³STUK-Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, 00881 Helsinki, Finland
4. ⁴Norwegian Armed Forces, Bygning 0028A, Sessvollmoen 2058, Norway
5. ⁵International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372 Cedex 08, Lyon, France
6. ⁶Institute of Cancer Epidemiology, Danish Cancer Society, Strandboulevarden 49, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
7. ⁷Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Leeds, 30 Hyde Terrace, Leeds LS2 9LN, UK
8. ⁸The Cancer Registry of Norway, Institute of Population-based Cancer Research, Montebello, 0310 Oslo, Norway
9. ⁹Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
10. ¹⁰Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Tampere 33014, Finland
11. ¹¹Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, DK-2900 Hellerup, Denmark
12. ¹²Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, PO Box 55, 1332 Osteras, Norway

Correspondence: MJ Schoemaker, E-mail: Minouk@icr.ac.uk

¹³From this author onwards in alphabetical order of surname

Received 14 July 2005; Revised 27 July 2005; Accepted 28 July 2005; Published online 30 August 2005.

Abstract

There is public concern that use of mobile phones could increase the risk of brain tumours. If such an effect exists, acoustic neuroma would be of particular concern because of the proximity of the acoustic nerve to the handset. We conducted, to a shared protocol, six population-based case–control studies in four Nordic countries and the UK to assess the risk of acoustic neuroma in relation to mobile phone use. Data were collected by personal interview from 678 cases of acoustic neuroma and 3553 controls. The risk of acoustic neuroma in relation to regular mobile phone use in the pooled data set was not raised (odds ratio (OR)=0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7–1.1). There was no association of risk with duration of use, lifetime cumulative hours of use or number of calls, for phone use overall or for analogue or digital phones separately. Risk of a tumour on the same side of the head as reported phone use was raised for use for 10 years or longer (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.1–3.1). The study suggests that there is no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade after starting mobile phone use. However, an increase in risk after longer term use or after a longer lag period could not be ruled out.