Is Cellphone Carrying Below the Waist (Exposure to Non-Ionizing Radiation) Contributing to the Rapid Rise in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer?

Authors: Li DK, Ferber J, Hirst A, Odouli R, Quesenberry C, Levin T

Year: 2024

Category: Epidemiology

Journal: ISEE 2024: 36th Annual Conference of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology

DOI: 10.1289/isee.2024.1903

URL: https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/isee.2024.1903

Abstract

Overview

The incidence of early-onset (EO) colorectal cancer (CRC), defined as occurring in individuals under 50 years of age, has been rising rapidly over recent decades. This increase suggests the influence of a new environmental risk factor, with one emerging possibility being increased exposure to radiofrequency (RF), non-ionizing radiation from widespread cellphone use. Young people have been documented to carry their cellphones in their pants pockets for many hours each day, leading to extensive RF radiation exposure in the colorectal region. Intestinal epithelial cells are among the most sensitive to radiation exposure. This study aims to investigate whether cellphone carrying below the waist is associated with an increased risk of EOCRC.

Method

  • A case-control study was conducted among 50 recently diagnosed EOCRC cases and 50 randomly selected age- and sex-matched controls.
  • Data on cellphone carrying habits, including specific locations below the waist, average daily duration, and age started/stopped carrying in certain locations, were collected.

Findings

  • After adjusting for confounders, participants in the highest tertile of total daily hours carrying a cellphone below the waist had a more than fourfold increased risk of EOCRC compared to those with shorter durations (aOR=4.1, 95% CI: 1.0-16.4).
  • The association was stronger for rectal cancer (OR=6.4) compared to colon cancer (OR=1.9), implying a risk gradient based on proximity to the cellphone.
  • Strikingly, the association was much stronger for ipsilateral carrying (on the same side as the tumor) with an OR=12.1 (95% CI: 1.5-97) versus contralateral carrying (opposite side), which had OR=1.6.

Conclusion

A longer duration of cellphone carrying below the waist is associated with a significantly increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer. Although preliminary, these findings indicate a possible link between habitual cellphone placement and the rapid rise in EOCRC, adding to the evidence of health risks from electromagnetic field exposure.

cellphone radiation non-ionizing radiation early-onset colorectal cancer RF exposure environmental risk factors case-control study cancer epidemiology
← Back to Stats