Cell Phone use and Risk of Benign and Malignant Parotid Gland Tumors
1) This study showed that increased cell phone use or using a cell phone in a
rural area increases the risk of parotid gland tumors on the ipsilateral side as
compared to controls.
2) For ipsilateral use, the highest category of cumulative number of calls and call
time without use of hands-free devices increased the risk of parotid gland tumors
3) For ipsilateral use, regular use of a cell phone in a rural area without use of
hands-free devices increased the risk of parotid gland tumors by 49%.
4) These results suggest an association between cellular phone use and parotid
5) "Since the mid-1990s when cellular phones became widespread in most
Western countries, there has been concern about the possible carcinogenic effects
of the electromagnetic radiofrequency fields thereby emitted."
6) The absorption of radiofrequency energy emitted by cellular phones is
attenuated by more than 90% within about a 2-inch distance from the exposure
7) Because the parotid gland is 4-10 mm below the skin surface, it is a plausible
candidate for being influenced by exposure to cellular phones.
8) When the analyses was restricted to regular cell phone users, there was an
increased risk of parotid gland tumors for ipsilateral use 5 years and 10 years in the
past, as well as for cumulative number of calls and cumulative call time.
9) "For all exposure measures studied, the odds ratios for above-median
ipsilateral use were elevated and statistically significant: 1.58 [58% increased risk]
for cumulative number of calls and 1.49 [49% increased risk] for cumulative call
time. Significant trends were seen for ipsilateral use for cumulative number of calls
and for cumulative call time."
10) "Our results suggest a relation between long-term and heavy cellular phone
use and parotid gland tumors."
11) "Significantly elevated odds ratios [for parotid gland tumors] were observed
consistently in the highest category of each of the measures of cellular phone use
on the ipsilateral side, supporting a dose-response association."
12) "In addition, a positive association was seen for cellular phone use in rural
areas, which was not shown for use mainly in urban areas."
13) "Because radiofrequency energy absorption is very localized, if radiofrequency
exposure increases the risk of PGTs, any increase will be seen on the side of the
head where the phone is usually held, and no effect will be observed on the
14) "An important determinant of output power is distance from base stations. In
rural areas where base stations are located far apart, the average output power of
phones tends to be higher than that in urban areas."
15) "In conclusion, based on the largest group of benign parotid gland tumor
patients reported to date, a number of complementary analyses suggest a positive
association between cellular phone use and parotid gland tumors."