Study type: Epidemiological study (observational study)

Time trend in incidence of malignant neoplasms of the central nervous system in relation to mobile phone use among young people in Japan epidem.

Published in: Bioelectromagnetics 2016; 37 (5): 282-289

Aim of study (acc. to author)

Time trends of the incidence rates of malignant neoplasms of the central nervous system among young people (aged 10-39 years) were investigated in Japan in association with the increasing trend of mobile phone use in this age group.

Further details

Data on mobile phone usage were extracted from a nationwide survey with 7,550 participants between July 2008 and December 2012, and follow-up continued until March 2013.
The expected incidence rates from 1993 to 2010 by sex and 10-year age groups were calculated assuming that the relative risk was 1.4 for those who used mobile phones more than 1640 h cumulatively based on the results of the Interphone study (2010). Furthermore, expected incidence rates for relative risks of 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, 10.0, or 12.0 were calculated for further comparison.

Endpoint/type of risk estimation

Type of risk estimation: (standardized incidence rate (SIR))

Exposure

Assessment

Population

Statistical analysis method:

Results (acc. to author)

For children and adolescents aged 10-19 years the incidence rates for malignant neoplasms of the central nervous system did not show any significantly increasing trend from 1993 to 2010. On the other hand, the changes in incidence rates were 0.92 per 100,000 people for men in their 20s, 0.83 for women in their 20s, 0.89 for men in their 30s, and 0.74 for women in their 30s. In comparison the change in expected incidence rates from 1993 to 2010 was 0.08 per 100,000 people for men in their 20s, 0.03 for women in their 20s, 0.15 for men in their 30s, and 0.05 for women in their 30s.
The authors conclude that the incidence rate of malignant neoplasms of the central nervous system has increased significantly in men and women aged 20-29 years and 30-39 years from 1993 to 2010 in Japan. However, patterns in sex-, age-, and period-specific incidence increases for malignant neoplasms of the central nervous system are inconsistent with sex-, age-, and period-specific prevalence trends of heavy mobile phone use, suggesting that the overall incidence increase cannot be explained by heavy mobile phone use.

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