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According to a large study commissioned by the World Health Organization, there is no correlation between even prolonged exposure to mobile phones and the occurrence of brain cancer. A finding that contrasts with the fears that have been expressed since 2011.
Using your mobile phone too much has no impact on the development of brain cancer in users. This is now confirmed by a very serious and important study commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO). To the point of closing a long-standing debate on the risks of these waves?
Cancer rate stable despite increasing equipment
To confirm this, the commissioned meta-analysis covered approximately 5,000 scientific studies conducted between 1994 and 2022, but targeted 63 relevant studies in particular. Around 250,000 users were followed for a median period of 7 years in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands and Finland.
The finding is reassuring: despite the growing popularity of mobile phones and other wireless technologies, the incidence of three types of cancer (brain, leukemia, pituitary or salivary gland cancer) has not increased. And this is true even in cases of prolonged use of mobile phones of more than 10 years or among the most assiduous users.
“Regarding the main question, cell phones and brain cancer, we found no increased risk, even with exposure of more than 10 years and the maximum categories of call time or number of calls.” said Mark Elwood, co-author of the study in a statement.
Classified as a possible carcinogen since 2011
Cell phones emit non-ionizing radiation at frequencies and energy levels low enough not to damage DNA. However, in 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)the WHO agency responsible for combating cancer, was concerned: with little hindsight, it classified exposure to radio waves as “possibly carcinogenic” to humans. A notion which, as a precaution, had remained the norm until today.
Today, we know that the first studies could be biased, because they were based on cases of patients already suffering from cancer.
The main question, according to the researchers, remains whether the impact would be different on very intensive users or on the very long term, but according to their observations, this would remain “extremely rare“.
5G is not a cause for concern either
Let us note, however, that the legitimate question of the risks of 5G is not specifically addressed by the study, the end point of the meta-analysis having been set in 2022… A little too early for these new frequencies. Nevertheless, the authors do not seem worried, the radiation of 5G being also non-ionizing.
“There are no major studies on 5G networks yet, but there are studies on radars, which have similar high frequencies. These studies do not show an increased risk. neither”said Mark Elwood.
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