We made a pooled analysis of two case-control studies on malignant brain tumours with
patients diagnosed during 1997-2003 and 2007-2009. They were aged 20-80 years and
18-75 years, respectively, at the time of diagnosis. Only cases with histopathological
verification of the tumour were included. Population-based controls, matched on age
and gender, were used. Exposures were assessed by questionnaire. The whole reference
group was used in the unconditional regression analysis adjusted for gender, age,
year of diagnosis, and socio-economic index. In total, 1498 (89%) cases and 3530 (87%)
controls participated. Mobile phone use increased the risk of glioma, OR=1.3, 95%
CI=1.1-1.6 overall, increasing to OR=3.0, 95% CI=1.7-5.2 in the >25 year latency group.
Use of cordless phones increased the risk to OR=1.4, 95% CI=1.1-1.7, with highest
risk in the >15-20 years latency group yielding OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.1-2.5. The OR increased
statistically significant both per 100h of cumulative use, and per year of latency
for mobile and cordless phone use. Highest ORs overall were found for ipsilateral
mobile or cordless phone use, OR=1.8, 95% CI=1.4-2.2 and OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.3-2.1, respectively.
The highest risk was found for glioma in the temporal lobe. First use of mobile or
cordless phone before the age of 20 gave higher OR for glioma than in later age groups.