Cell Phones and Brain Cancer

Figure 1. Estimation of the penetration of electromagnetic radiation from a cell phone based on age (Frequency GSM 900 Mhz) (On the right, a scale showing the Specific Absorption Rate at different depths, in W/kg) [ ]
Today I saw Devra Davis lecture about her new book, The Secret History of the War on Cancer. In the book she discusses the controversial topic of Cell Phones and Brain Cancer comparing it to the Tobacco/Lung Cancer relationship back in the 50s.

Her main points were:
-We don't have enough evidence to make conclusions one way or another
-Previous studies (which mostly have shown no association) have been biased, cell phone users included anyone who made in a call in the past 6 months
-Huge increase in use has only happened in past ten years, cancer takes 20-30 years to develop.
-Particularly concerned about children's increased use of cell phones, since skulls are thinner and brains aren't not fully myelinated. (see above figure)
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This NY Times article provides a more balanced view:

"According to the Food and Drug Administration, three large epidemiology studies since 2000 have shown no harmful effects. CTIA — the Wireless Association, the leading industry trade group, said in a statement, “The overwhelming majority of studies that have been published in scientific journals around the globe show that wireless phones do not pose a health risk."

The F.D.A. notes, however, that the average period of phone use in the studies it cites was about three years, so the research doesn’t answer questions about long-term exposures. Critics say many studies are flawed for that reason, and also because they do not distinguish between casual and heavy use.

Cellphones emit non-ionizing radiation, waves of energy that are too weak to break chemical bonds or to set off the DNA damage known to cause cancer. There is no known biological mechanism to explain how non-ionizing radiation might lead to cancer."
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Studies that have shown risk have unalarming low Odds Ratios:

Meta-analysis of long-term mobile phone use and the association with brain tumours

Abstract:
We evaluated long-term use of mobile phones and the risk for brain tumours in case-control studies published so far on this issue. We identified ten studies on glioma and meta-analysis yielded OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.8-1.1. Latency period of ≥10-years gave OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.8-1.9 based on six studies, for ipsilateral use (same side as tumour) OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.4 (four studies), but contralateral use did not increase the risk significantly, OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.6-2.0. Meta-analysis of nine studies on acoustic neuroma gave OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.7-1.1 increasing to OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.6-2.8 using ≥10-years latency period (four studies). Ipsilateral use gave OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.1-5.3 and contra-lateral OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.7-2.2 in the ≥10-years latency period group (three studies). Seven studies gave results for meningioma yielding overall OR = 0.8, 95% CI = 0.7-0.99. Using ≥10-years latency period OR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9-1.8 was calculated (four studies) increasing to OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 0.99-3.1 for ipsilateral use and OR = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.3-3.1 for contralateral use (two studies). We conclude that this meta-analysis gave a consistent pattern of an association between mobile phone use and ipsilateral glioma and acoustic neuroma using ≥10-years latency period.
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My Conclusions:
1. Chances are there is little or no risk increase for general population, but even a small risk increase would be a big public health problem since billions of people use cell phones.
2. The lack of known biological mechanism is huge and the major reason the FDA and scientists aren't freaking out
3. Studies should be particularly concentrated on children
4. Time will tell, hopefully we can gather more evidence and not be slow to action like with tobacco (if there happens to be causational evidence).
5. If worse comes to worse, we can always go back to the Banana Phone...