Changes in Brain Glioma Incidence and Laterality Correlates with Use of Mobile Phones – a Nationwide Population Based Study in Israel

Introduction: Mobile phones are in extensive use worldwide and concerns regarding their role in tumorformation were raised. Over the years multiple studies were published in order to investigate this issue usingseveral approaches. The current study looks at secular trends of brain gliomas (low and high grade) incidenceand changes in tumor’s laterality over 30 years in a population extensively using this technology with a possiblecorrelation to the spread of use of mobile phones. Materials and
Methods: All brain gliomas that were diagnosedfrom 1980-2009 were included and subdivided into two groups - low and high grade. Secular and periodic timetrend analyses of incidence rates and changes in laterality were performed. Preferred side of head using mobilephones was assessed with a questionnaire in a sample of adult individuals.
Results: A decrease in incidence oflow grade giomas (LGG) that correlated with introduction of mobile technology was found from 2.57, 2.34 and2.79 for every 100,000 in the period 1980 to the end of 1994 to 1.72, 1.82 and 1.57, respectively, over the last three5-years periods (1995-2009). High-grade glioma incidences increased significantly from 1980-2009 but in theperiod after mobile phones were introduced (1994-2009) a lower, non significant, rate of increase was observedin males and a lower one (significant) in females. A shift towards left sided tumor location for all adult gliomascombined and separately for LGG and HGG was noted from 1995 onward. The shift was more marked forthose who were diagnosed in ages 20-49 (p=0.03).
Conclusions: We found a statistically significant decrease inLGG’s over 30-years period that correlates with introducing of mobile phones technology and a shift in lateralitytowards left-sided tumors, the latter occurred in both low and high-grade gliomas.