A new study shows cellphone usage does not lead to brain cancer, based on nearly three decades of data.
The argument that cellphone radiation causes brain cancer has been disputed and debated since the advent of cellphone technology.
The study was done in Australia and looked at brain cancer incidences in the population from 1982 to 2013. Australia was chosen because all citizens are required to register any cancer diagnosis.
Simon Chapman, lead author and affiliated to the school of public health at the University of Sydney, explains: "Using national cancer registration data, we examined age and gender-specific incidence rates of 19 858 male and 14 222 females diagnosed with brain cancer in Australia between 1982 and 2012, and mobile phone usage data from 1987 to 2012."
The study found brain cancer diagnosis between 1982 and 2013 has not increased in any age group except those aged 70-84. However, the increase in those aged over 70 began five years before cellphones were introduced to the country.
Chapman hypothesises the increase in brain cancer in the oldest age group is due to improved diagnostic detection.
The research paper does show a slight increase in brain cancer rates for males aged 20-84, but over 30 years, female incidences have remained stable. However, the increase is small compared to the huge uptake in cellphone usage. Over 90% of the Australian population now make use of a mobile device.
In 2011, the World Health Organisation said heavy cellphone use could possibly lead to cancer. Its International Agency for Research was conducting research on the causes of human cancer.
It said the evidence of cellphone radiation harm is limited and based on inconclusive research, but cellphones warrant classification as "possibly carcinogenic to humans".
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