Abstract

Overview

The purpose of this systematic review is to critically assess the scientific literature concerning the link between occupational exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) and cancer risk.

Methods

• The review is part of the BRIC 2018 research project, supported by INAIL, under PROSPERO code CRD42020200202.
• It adheres to the PRISMA guidelines and includes studies involving workers across various sectors exposed to RF-EMF ranging from 3 kHz to 300 GHz who have been medically diagnosed with cancer.
• Only studies published in peer-reviewed international journals in English were considered, without restrictions on publication date.

Findings

• Initial findings indicate a focus on diverse cancer types, including brain tumors.
• However, a significant issue is the varying quality of exposure assessments. Most studies suffer from biases, with few utilizing detailed, individual exposure data.
• Moreover, there is often co-exposure to other occupational carcinogens, which could skew results.

Conclusion

While the review is ongoing, early indications suggest that inconsistencies in study designs and exposure assessments greatly hinder the ability to synthesize data conclusively. The risk of potential biases and exposure to other carcinogens further complicates the interpretation of results, suggesting a cautious approach in understanding the link between occupational RF-EMF exposure and cancer risk.