A new systematic review of 63 research studies has found no link between mobile phone use and brain cancer.
The World Health Organization commissioned the review, which assessed 63 studies published between 1994 to 2022.
The review led by Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency's (ARPANSA) associate professor Ken Karipidis was the most comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the evidence to date, conducted by 11 investigators from 10 countries.
"The findings of this systematic review align with previous research conducted by ARPANSA showing that, although the use of wireless technology has massively increased in the last 20 years, there has been no rise in the incidence of brain cancers," he said.
Radiofrequencies (RF) refers to electromagnetic energy in the wavelengths of 300 Hz to 300 GHz, which is a lower frequency and lower energy than visible light. RF is used for mobile phones, radio and TV as well as in baby monitors, wi-fi connections, radar, and many industrial and medical uses.
Co-author on the study and University of Auckland Professor Mark Elwood said all studies published from 1947 to 2022 were assessed as part of the review.
"Sixty-three relevant articles were found, from 22 countries, reporting on 119 relationships (that is, one type of RF and one type of cancer). Each of these 119 was assessed, using pre-set methods and assessment of the quality of each study.
"None of the major questions studied showed increased risks. For the main issue — mobile phones and brain cancers — we found no increased risk, even with 10-plus years exposure and the maximum categories of call time or number of calls," he said.
Of those assessed, 13 studies from 12 countries looked at whether more brain cancers were occurring in recent years along with increased cell phone use. Elwood said the results of these studies showed "no major increases".
"Similarly, we found no increased risks of leukaemia or brain cancers in children in relationship to radio or TV transmitters or cell phone base stations. We also found no increased risk of brain cancers with occupational exposures in the manufacture or operation of equipment," he said.
Professor at University of Auckland's Department of Psychological Medicine, Keith Petrie, said worries about the health effects of new technology are common and tended to increase when a new technology is adopted widely or quickly.
Elwood said some studies explored 10 or more years' of mobile phone use and brain cancers, including "quite extensive" phone use.
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