Scientists studied 750 thousand. women to find out if cell phones cause cancer. The results are controversial

Since the entry into the market of mobile phones, there has been a debate as to whether their use is completely safe and does not contribute to an increased risk of brain cancer. This topic is sensitive not only to the public, but also to scientists from the University of Oxford, who began studying this relationship 20 years ago, and now published the results of a study that they conducted on a group of over 750 people. women. They are met with a lot of criticism.

1. Scientists from the University of Oxford have studied hundreds of thousands of women to find out if cell phone use might increase the risk of brain cancer
2. Their results show that the use of cells does not affect the formation of neoplasms, but the methodology of their research causes controversy
3. The results of research by scientists from Oxford are undermined, among others, by Dr. Devra Davis from the Environmental Health Trust, which cites previous research and points out, inter alia, to a very specific and, in her opinion, unreliable group of people who were taken into account in the preparation of the results
4. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

The alleged influence of radiation from mobile phones on the increased risk of cancer has been keeping researchers awake at night since the launch of this type of device on the market. Researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the University of Oxford began a study in which they followed over 20 people over the course of 750 years. British women who use their cell phones on a daily basis or have been using them for over 10 years. The WebMD portal wrote about it.

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The analysis of the collected data allowed scientists to conclude that there is no relationship between the occurrence of cancer and the use of cellular equipment, but it should be noted that their research methods may be controversial.

— The results support accumulating evidence that normal use of a cell phone does not increase the risk of a brain tumor, said study author Kirstin Pirie of Oxford Population Health in an interview with WebMD.

The methodology of research by scientists from Oxford is controversial and raises questions about the correctness of the results

Although it might seem that the results of research by scientists from the University of Oxford will end the debate that has been going on since the 90s about the alleged induction of brain, ear, or neck tumors by cell phones that are held close to the head during use, they have been severely criticized with Environmental Health Trust website. The nonprofit organization maintains that phones and cellular networks are inherently dangerous and represent a real source of cancer risk.

According to the president of the Environmental Health Trust, Dr. Devry Davis, the research of scientists from Oxford is not reliable, because the respondents answered poorly formulated questions, provided false information about exposure and belonged to an unreliable age group.

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— Research that relies on out-of-date data is dangerous because it does not take into account how people use cell phones today. Many of today’s users use their cell phones for many hours a day. (…) Numerous human and animal studies have shown a link between cell phone radiation and cancer — Devra Davis said, and recommended that children, in particular, limit their exposure to cell phones.

Importantly, in recent years, approximately 30 epidemiological studies have been conducted on the correlation between the use of mobile phones and the occurrence of cancer. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer announced that devices of this type were “possibly carcinogenic”. This conclusion was largely based on the results of a series of studies in Sweden and an international case study.

British scientists disagree, however, and write in their research that their observations “suggest little or no increase in the risk of developing a brain tumor in cell phone users”. At this point, however, it is worth looking at the research methods used by the British. Researchers at the University of Oxford based their claim on data from the ongoing UK Million Women Study project, which began in 1996. It covers 25% of the population. women born in Great Britain between 1935 and 1950 by sending them surveys at regular intervals collecting information about their lifestyle and their health.

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Questions about the use of mobile phones were introduced in 2001, when women were between 50 and 65 years of age. According to WebMD, about half of the respondents answered questions about the use of popular mobile phones, which they repeated 10 years later, in 2011. Research has shown that 75 percent of respondents. Until 60, British women aged 64-2011 used mobile phones (less than half of women aged 75-79).

In the analyzed period, 3 people developed a brain tumor. 268 respondents, but scientists did not find any connection with their use of cell phones and concluded that their risk of developing cancer was similar to that of women who had never used cells.

— There is always a need for more research, especially as telephones, cordless etc are becoming ubiquitous, but this study should allay many of the existing concerns — said Malcolm Sperrin, a professor at Oxford University Hospitals, who was not involved in the study.

It is worth noting here that the study did not include children, adolescents and young people, who often actively use their mobile phones more frequently than middle-aged and mature women.

See also:

1.  Benign brain tumors – what to look for
2. The innocent symptoms of tumors
3. The most common cancers among Polish women. The situation worsened after the pandemic