Mobile Phones Not Linked to Brain Cancer: Comprehensive Study

A comprehensive review by the World Health Organization, covering over 5,000 studies, concludes there is no link between mobile phone use and brain cancer. The analysis, led by ARPANSA, debunks previous classifications of radio waves as possibly carcinogenic, finding no connection with glioma or other brain cancers.

A comprehensive review commissioned by the World Health Organization has concluded that there is no link between mobile phone use and the development of brain cancer. The review, conducted by an international team of researchers led by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), examined over 5,000 studies, focusing on 63 key publications from 1994 to 2022.

The findings, published in the journal Environment International, refute earlier claims made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a WHO affiliate, which in 2011 classified radio waves as possibly carcinogenic based on limited evidence from human observational studies. According to lead researcher Ken Karipidis, ARPANSA's Health Impact Assessment Assistant Director, the current analysis is the most comprehensive to date and includes recent studies, providing greater confidence in the conclusion.

The review found no increased risk of glioma or other brain-related cancers such as meningioma, pituitary tumours, and paediatric brain tumours due to mobile phone use. However, the authors have called for future studies to investigate the effects of newer wireless technologies, including 5G mobile networks.

(With inputs from agencies.)