Use of mobile phones and progression of glioma incidence since 1979

Abstract

Overview

The study investigates the impact of mobile phone usage on glioma incidence rates in Nordic countries from 1979 to 2016, employing national cancer registry data to assess risk under various hypothetical scenarios of mobile phone use.

Findings

• Glioma incidence rates (IR) showed gradual increases, particularly among the older populations.
• Exposure to mobile phones was modeled based on self-reported data up to 2016.
• Most scenarios aligning mobile phone use with increased glioma rates were found implausible when compared with observed data.
• An elevated risk remained plausible only among the heaviest 10% of mobile phone users.

Conclusion

The research highlights a possible connection between extensive mobile phone use and increased glioma risk in subgroups, stressing the importance of continued investigation into mobile phone use and its health implications, especially for heavy users. Enhanced registry completeness and more precise exposure metrics are suggested to improve future studies.