The French CERENAT study, which was conducted between 2004 and 2006 and published in 2014, investigated the possible link between the use of cell phones and the occurrence of brain tumors such as gliomas and meningiomas. The aim of the study was to find out whether long-term and intensive cell phone use can increase the risk of these types of tumors. To this end, a case-control study was conducted in which 253 glioma and 194 meningioma cases were compared with 892 healthy controls. The participants were questioned in detail about their cell phone use, including the duration, frequency and type of use.
The results of the study showed that people who had used their cell phone for more than 896 hours in total – which corresponds to about 30 minutes of daily use over ten years – had a significantly increased risk of developing gliomas and meningiomas. The risk of gliomas was almost three times higher in these heavy users than in light users or non-users, while the risk of meningiomas was more than twice as high. The correlation was particularly striking in the case of frequent professional users, while occasional private cell phone use did not show an increased tumor risk.
The authors of the CERENAT study emphasized that although these results indicate a possible link between intensive cell phone use and brain tumors, they cannot prove a causal relationship. Nevertheless, they recommend precautionary measures to reduce personal exposure to electromagnetic fields. These include the use of hands-free devices, shorter phone calls and avoiding phone calls when reception is poor, as the cell phone emits stronger radiation in these situations.
Overall, the CERENAT study provides important information on possible health risks from intensive cell phone use, especially for people with high occupational exposure. It also underlines the need for further research to better understand the long-term effects of cell phone use on health. The full results and details of the study have been published in the journal “Occupational and Environmental Medicine” and are available for viewing there.
