No evidence of mobile phones causing brain cancer, WHO review finds

• A new review by the World Health Organization finds no evidence that mobile phone use causes brain cancer.
• The review encompasses research from 22 different countries and finds no connection between mobile phone use, workplace radio frequency electromagnetic field transmission equipment, cell towers, and brain and pituitary cancers or leukemia in adults or children.
• The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) had previously rated mobile phones as “possibly carcinogenic”.

Does using a mobile phone increase your risk of developing brain cancer? A new, expansive review from the World Health Organization (WHO) of existing research says “no.”

The WHO review found no correlation between mobile phone use and an increased risk of gliomas, meningiomas, and acoustic neuromas, nor was there any correlation with pituitary and salivary cancers or leukemia.

The review is a meta-analysis — or study of studies — encompassing 63 articles published in 22 countries between 1994 and 2022. Each of these investigated the health effects of exposure to radio frequency-electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) transmitted by mobile phones. TVs and baby monitors also emit RF-EMF, as do many other devices of the modern world.

Mobile phones themselves are actually low-powered RF-EMF transmitters. They transmit radio waves to their destinations through a series of fixed antennas — cell towers. These waves are electromagnetic fields. The review suggests they are benign. They appear incapable of breaking chemical bonds or causing ionization in our bodies, or damaging our DNA.

Any time a phone is turned on, it is also a receiver of RF-EMF signals, such as when a call or text is received.

When a phone is turned fully off, it neither transmits nor receives RF-EMF fields.

The review also found no evidence that exposure from fixed-site RF-EMF transmitters, such as broadcasting antennas or cell phone towers, was linked to childhood leukemia or pediatric brain tumors, allaying concerns for many parents.

Fixed workplace RF-EMF transmitters were likewise not associated with an increase in the incidence of gliomas.

The study is published in Environment International .

Are mobile phones carcinogenic?

The review describes the quality of the conclusions drawn by the studies it includes as being of low-to-moderate certainty.

First author Ken Karipidis, PhD , assistant director of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s Health Impact Assessment (ARPANSA) and associate professor at ARPANSA, explained to Medical News Today :

“[We] reviewed human observational studies, which are inherently classified as moderate certainty because the exposure is not controlled as it is in experimental research. While randomized clinical trials are considered the best form of evidence, it’s not possible to test if something is carcinogenic on humans. Exposing humans to a potential health hazard is not ethical.”

Wael Harb, MD , a board certified hematologist and medical oncologist at MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast and Saddleback Medical Centers in Orange County, CA, who was not involved in the review, noted:

“Even with this limitation, the body of research consistently pointed toward no significant association between, RF-EMF exposure and brain cancer.”

Perhaps more significantly, he said, “It’s always important to acknowledge an inherent uncertainty in science.”

In addition, Karipidis noted that it is key for “the science to continue.”

“Technology is developing at a rapid pace. With this development comes the use of radio waves in different ways using different frequencies. It is therefore essential that science continues to ensure radio wave exposure from these technologies remains safe,” Karipidis said.

Older studies raised cancer concerns

The review’s call for further research aligns with the rating of mobile phones as “ possibly carcinogenic ” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This status is assigned when it is not possible to absolutely rule out such a link.

Its findings also line up with an article published in March by IARC describing the preliminary findings of the Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health (COSMOS) project. This is an exploration of the potential long-term health effects of wireless communication technologies. In it, they find “people with the most total hours of mobile phone calls do not have a higher risk of developing a brain tumor compared with light users of mobile phones.”

Harb recalled older studies “that suggest a potential risk. Many of these studies have been criticized for methodology issues, such as recall bias and small sample sizes.”

“More recently, higher-quality meta-analyses including larger cohorts of patients have not supported these early findings, so they basically largely debunked earlier alarming claims about the risk of brain cancer,” he said.

What about exposure in the workplace?

While many people have phones close to their heads throughout the day, for some, more consistent RF-EMF exposure arrives courtesy of equipment installed at their workplaces. These may include magnetic resonance imaging arrays (MRI machines), heating systems, microwaves, telecommunication transmitters, radar, scanners, etc.

“Several studies have looked at occupational exposure to EMF in workplaces, such as from radio transmitters or equipment in an industrial setting. Occupational exposure is something we don’t take lightly,” said Harb. “Workplace exposure levels can sometimes be higher.”

“The problem with these types of exposures always has to do with the intensity and duration. Can we completely exclude that remains to be seen,” Harb pointed out.

Still, he said — and the WHO review agrees — “The research in this area has not demonstrated significantly different health impact, and most studies have not found any increased risk of brain cancer, or any other neoplasm associated with occupational RF-EMF exposure. We need to continue to research. We need to continue to watch and minimize exposure.”