Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

May 30, 2021

Abstract: We investigated whether cellular phone use was associated with increased risk of tumors using a meta-analysis of case-control studies. PubMed and EMBASE were searched from inception to July 2018. The primary outcome was the risk of tumors by cellular phone use, which was measured by pooling each odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI). In a meta-analysis of 46 case-control studies, compared with never or rarely having used a cellular phone, regular use was not associated with tumor risk in the random-effects meta-analysis. However, in the subgroup meta-analysis by research group, there was a statistically significant positive association (harmful effect) in the Hardell et al. studies (OR, 1.15—95% CI, 1.00 to 1.33— n = 10), a statistically significant negative association (beneficial effect) in the INTERPHONE-related studies (case-control studies from 13 countries coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); (OR, 0.81—95% CI, 0.75 to 0.89—n = 9), and no statistically significant association in other research groups’ studies. Further, cellular phone use with cumulative call time more than 1000 hours statistically significantly increased the risk of tumors. This comprehensive meta-analysis of case-control studies found evidence that linked cellular phone use to increased tumor risk.

Yoon-Jung Choi+, Joel M. Moskowitz+, Seung-Kwon Myung*, Yi-Ryoung Lee, Yun-Chul Hong*. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020, 17(21), 8079; doi: 10.3390/ijerph17218079.

Article can be found here:

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/21/8079

Comment on Choi, Y.-J., et al. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Frank de Vocht, Martin Röösli. Comment on Choi, Y.-J., et al. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 3125; doi: 10.3390/ijerph18063125.
Open access paper: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/3125

Reply to Comment on Choi, Y.-J., et al. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Seung-Kwon Myung, Joel M. Moskowitz, Yoon-Jung Choi, Yun-Chul Hong. Reply to Comment on Choi, Y.-J., et al. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 3326; doi: 10.3390/ijerph18063326.

Open access paper: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/3326

Comment on Choi et al. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Christopher Brzozek, Michael J. Abramson, Geza Benke, Ken Karipidis. Comment on Choi et al. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8079. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health18(10): 5459. 2021. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18105459.

Open access paper: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/10/5459

Reply to Brzozek et al. Comment on “Choi et al. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8079”
Joel M. Moskowitz, Seung-Kwon Myung, Yoon-Jung Choi, Yun-Chul Hong. Reply to Brzozek et al. Comment on “Choi et al. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8079”. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021,18(11), 5581doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115581.
Open access paper: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/11/5581

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