The INTERPHONE study

What is INTERPHONE?

The INTERPHONE study was set up in 2000 to see if mobile phone use is associated with an increased risk of cancer - particularly brain, head or neck tumours. It has been co-ordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization. The study involves research in 13 countries; Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
The research in each country was based on a common study procedure, prescribing the methods that were to be followed in all countries. It looked at the relationship between the use of mobile phones and the incidence of brain tumours, salivary gland tumours, acoustic neuromas and other head and neck tumours, leukaemia and lymphomas.
Since the work was begun in 2000, a number of individual studies from INTERPHONE have been published in scientific journals.
Now the combined results from that work have been compiled and a single analysis of the data on brain tumours, agreed by the leaders of all the studies, has been published.

Why is so much attention being given to INTERPHONE?

The rapid worldwide spread of mobile phones has focussed much more attention on scientific work being done to investigate possible risks of the technology. It is estimated that there are billions of mobile phones in use around the world and, as yet, there is no clear evidence of any public health risk.

The INTERPHONE study is the largest piece of work to date into the possible links between mobile phone use and cancer.

The studies have, collectively, looked at phone use in more than 6,000 people with cancer compared with a control group of more than 7,000 who have not.
Even before final publication, the INTERPHONE study attracted publicity and comment on the way the work was done and on the results of individual studies.

Has INTERPHONE answered the questions about the safety of mobile phones?

INTERPHONE has not been able to provide a definitive answer on the safety, or possible risks, of using mobile phones. It is nevertheless an important piece of evidence that merits serious consideration by scientists, Governments and phone users. The study itself notes that because mobile phone usage has changed considerably since the study was set up in 1999/2000, the effect, if any, of long-term heavy use of mobile phones requires further investigation. The authors concluded that biases and errors limit the strength of conclusions that could be made and because of that no definite link could be made between mobile phone use and cancer.

How did INTERPHONE come about?

In the mid-1990s, the European Commission set up a group to make recommendations for a programme of research on personal telecommunications, with the results contributing to a health hazard assessment of the technology. The UK's National Radiological Protection Board (which became part of the Health Protection Agency in 2005) supported the group, which delivered its report in 1996. Among the recommendations in the report was that studies of brain cancer should be carried out in several countries.
Other scientific groups also concluded that further research was warranted and, given the rapid spread of use of mobile phones, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carried out a feasibility study to see if an international collaborative study into the health effects would be possible. IARC concluded it would be feasible and in 2000 it created the INTERPHONE study.

Why is the Health Protection Agency involved in INTERPHONE?

The Health Protection Agency provides expert advice to Government on all matters to do with radiation protection, including to the devolved administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Because mobile phone signals are a form of non-ionising radiation, it is the HPA's role to assess any public health risk posed by their use and to advise Government accordingly, so that UK policy is informed by the best available science. It is the responsibility of Government to make policy and regulations on radiological matters.

How has the Health Protection Agency been involved so far?

Although HPA scientists were involved in some of the original work which inspired the creation of INTERPHONE, they did not take part in the epidemiological studies in the INTERPHONE project. Instead, the scientists advised on the technical aspects of assessing exposures from mobile phones. The two major epidemiological studies in the UK for INTERPHONE were carried out at the Institute of Cancer Research (University of London) and at the University of Leeds.

What is HPA's advice on mobile phone use?

The Agency's existing advice is that there is no clear evidence that the health of the general public is being affected adversely by the use of mobile phone technologies. Nevertheless uncertainties remain and a continued precautionary approach to their use is recommended.
Mobile phones are a new technology that many people have become exposed to over the last 10 years or so, so there are bound to be gaps in scientific knowledge.
The Agency recommends a precautionary approach should be adopted for mobile phone technology, in particular the use of handsets by children. Handsets give the highest exposures to radio signals because they are normally held close to the head. These exposures are far higher than those from phone masts. The Agency recommends that excessive use of mobile phone handsets by children should be discouraged.

What is the HPA's view on the INTERPHONE study?

See the HPA's press release on the INTERPHONE study.

Where can I find out more?

Visit the Health Protection Agency's website's mobile phone pages at http://www.hpa.org.uk/HPA/Topics/Radiation/UnderstandingRadiation/1158934607786/. Here you will find explanation of the science behind mobile phone use, links to existing studies and UK research projects including MTHR's work and The Stewart Report.

The World Health Organization's website summarises the background to INTERPHONE here http://www.iarc.fr/en/research-groups/RAD/RCAd.html and the Interphone study status can be seen here http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/2009/interphone_status.php.

 

Last reviewed: 18 May 2010