Mobile phone use and risks of overall and 25 site-specific cancers: a prospective study from the UK Biobank Study

Abstract

Background

The relationship between mobile phone use and the risk of developing cancer has been extensively studied, but remains uncertain. This study delves into the connection between mobile phone use and the occurrence of overall cancer as well as 25 site-specific cancers.

Methods

• A cohort of 431,861 participants between the ages of 38 and 73, all without previous cancer diagnoses, was drawn from the UK Biobank.
• The cohort included a nearly even split of genders, with 46.7% male participants.
• Participants were categorized as mobile phone users if they used a phone at least once a week to make or receive calls.
• The primary outcomes measured were the incidences of overall and 25 site-specific cancers.

Results

After a median follow-up period of 10.7 years, significant findings include:

• Risks of general cancer development were higher in mobile phone users with Hazard Ratios (HR) indicating elevated risks across various cancers.
• Significant associations were found for nonmelanoma skin cancer (HR, 1.08), urinary tract cancer (HR, 1.18), and prostate cancer (HR, 1.19) amongst men, along with overall cancer and vulva cancer in women.
• A dose-response relationship of cancer risk was observed with the increased duration of mobile phone use, particularly noticeable in cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer.

Conclusions

The study concludes that there is a dose-response relationship indicating that longer durations of mobile phone use are associated with increased risks of developing certain types of cancer, notably nonmelanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer amongst others. Authors highlight the need for moderated mobile phone usage to potentially prevent these cancers.