Mobile Phone Use, Brain Tumor Risk and Public Health Policyand
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Mobile Phone Use, Brain Tumor Risk and Public Health Policy and Public Health Policy J lM M k i Ph D Di Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director Center for Family and Community School of Public Health School of Public Health University of California, Berkeley The Commonwealth Club The Commonwealth Club November 18, 2010 Discussion/Action Item 1h CEAC April 7, 2011
Transcript of Mobile Phone Use, Brain Tumor Risk and Public Health Policyand
Mobile Phone Use, Brain Tumor Risk and Public Health Policyand Public Health Policy
J l M M k i Ph D DiJoel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director
Center for Family and CommunitySchool of Public HealthSchool of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
The Commonwealth ClubThe Commonwealth ClubNovember 18, 2010
Discussion/Action Item 1h CEAC April 7, 2011
Overview
• Review studies of mobile phone use and tumor risktumor risk
• Results of 2010 Interphone Study paper• Trends in cell phone use in U.S.• Public health policy optionsp y p
Meta-analysis: publication
• Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 27(33):5565-72. 2009.
– Seung-Kwon Myung, National Cancer Center, S. Korea– Woong Ju, Ewha Womans University, S. Korea– Yeon Li Gee, Seoul National Univ. Hospital, S. Korea– Chih-Tao Cheng, Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center,
Taiwan – Diana McDonnell, Gene Kazinets, and Joel M. Moskowitz, UC
Berkeley
http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/27/33/5565.abstract
Meta-analysis: study selection
• One cohort studyOne cohort study – No association between cell phone use and
brain tumor riskbrain tumor risk– Weak study
23 case control studies• 23 case-control studies – 37,916 participants—12,344 patient cases &
25 572 t l25,572 controls
Meta-analysis: case-control study
• What is a case-control study?y– Compare “cases” to matched “controls.”– Determine if characteristics differ between 2 groups.– “Exposure” is mobile phone use– Exposure is mobile phone use.– Compute Odds Ratio (OR)
• (Odds of having tumor for people using phones) ÷(Odds of having tumor for people not using(Odds of having tumor for people not using phones)
– OR interpreted as Relative Risk• < 1 = reduced risk 1 = no risk > 1 = increased risk• < 1 = reduced risk, 1 = no risk, > 1 = increased risk
Meta-analysis: overall tumor risk
• Overall no association between• Overall no association between mobile phone use & tumor risk
(OR 0 98 23 t di )(OR = 0.98; n = 23 studies)
– High research quality–increased tumor risk- govt. or foundation-funded (OR=1.17; n = 8)g ( )
- Low research quality–reduced tumor risk- mostly industry-funded (OR = 0.85; n=15)
Meta-analysis: brain tumor risk for 10+ years mobile phone use10+ years mobile phone use
• Overall increased brain tumor risk• Overall increased brain tumor risk (OR = 1.24; n = 8)
- High quality – increased risk; Hardell g q y ;(OR = 1.54; n = 4)
- Low quality – no risk; InterphoneLow quality no risk; Interphone (OR =1.00; n = 4)
Meta-analysis: lessons learned
• Know • Don’t Know?– Increased brain tumor
risk for 10+ years– Results vary
– Longer durations– Heavier use
Children & teens– Results vary• Research quality• Research group
– Children & teens– 2005 and beyond– Other tumors & health
– 1994–2004Other tumors & health risks
Interphone study
13 ti t l t d• 13 nation case-control study – funded by World Health Org. & Industry ($25 million)
• 2010 - overall results for 2 brain tumors reported2010 overall results for 2 brain tumors reported– meningioma (n = 2,409) and glioma (n = 2,708)– 2000-2004 - data collected
lif ti ll h < 100 h– average lifetime cell phone use < 100 hours• Numerous shortcomings bias
– Reduce estimates of tumor risk
Interphone study: results• Meningioma Risk • Glioma Risk
– Any regular use --reduced risk
– Any regular use --reduced riskreduced risk
– After bias correction no risk
• likely due to bias– Heavy use (1,640+ hrs) --
increased risk (OR=1.40)( )• replicates in 44 tests• greater after bias
correction (OR=1 82)correction (OR 1.82)– Dose-response relationship
w/ more years of use• after bias correction• after bias correction
10-yr risk (OR=2.18)
Tumor risk for 10+ yrs. cell phone use by study group & tumor typeuse by study group & tumor type
3
2
3
Relative ??
1
Relative Risk
of Tumor InterphoneHardell
??
0Acoustic Meningioma Glioma
Hardell?Neuroma
Tumor Type
Relative Risk: < 1 = protective, 1 = no risk, > 1 = harmful
Interphone results from Appendix 2 Table (corrects for bias)
Mobile Phone Use in U.S.
1985 --203,000
U.S. government position
U S Food and Drug Administration May 2010U.S. Food and Drug Administration, May 2010
Public health policy options• U.S. govt. position
– Cell phones meet safety standardsCell phones meet safety standards– Wait for conclusive evidence– Invest in minimal research funding
• Our position– Precautionary principley p p
• Harm reduction approach• Safe use recommendations• Precautionary health warningsy g• Update safety standards
– Call for major government research funding initiativeg
Precautionary Principle
Policy: Precautionary warnings
HP1207, LD 1706, 124th Maine State Legislature, 2009-2010An Act To Create the Children's Wireless Protection Act
Policy: independent research
Contact information
Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director
Center for Family and CommunityCenter for Family and CommunitySchool of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
A CDC Center for Health PromotionA CDC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research
