The latest research on harmful influence of electromagnetic waves on the human brain led to the conclusion that prolonged use of mobile phones and cordless is associated with an increased risk of glioma, the most common brain tumour.

The new study, published in Pathophysiology, carried out by the Department of Oncology at the University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden, shows that the risk of glioma has tripled among those using a wireless phone for more than 25 years and that the risk was even greater for those who had begun to use mobile phones or cordless before age 20.

Recommended precautions include the use of mobile phones and hands-free with messaging using the “speaker” and text instead of call.

The brain is the main objective of the radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) when using these phones, with the maximum exposure when the phone is placed directly on the brain.

The new data from the study were collected from two case-control studies on histopathological data.

The first included patients between 20 and 80 years with a diagnosis from 1997 to 2003, and the second including those aged 18 to 75 years diagnosed between 2007 and 2009. The cases were from six cancer centers in Sweden.

The analysis included 1,498 cases of malignant brain tumours; the average age was 52 years. The majority of patients (92%) had a diagnosis of glioma, and just over half of gliomas (50.3%) with the variety most malignant – grade IV astrocytoma.

Also included were the controls (3530), with an average age of 54 years.

The analysis showed an increased risk of glioma associated with use for more than 1 year of both mobile and cordless phones, after adjustment for age at diagnosis, sex, socio-economic index, and year of diagnosis. The risk was highest for those with longer use the phone for more than 25 years.

The risk increased with the use of wireless phones.

The risk of glioma was higher in the most exposed part of the brain and for the portion in the ipsilateral temporal lobes.

In addition, the risk was higher among participants who first had used a cell phone or cordless phone before the age of 20 years, although the number of cases and controls was relatively small.

Children and teenagers are more exposed to RF-EMF than adults because of their thinner skull bones and smaller head and the highest conductivity in their brain tissue. The brain is still developing until about the age of 20 years and up to that point is relatively vulnerable.

There was a higher risk with the cellular network of third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G), because they emit microwave signals broadband, that “hypothetically” can cause biological effects higher than other signals, they write .

These biological effects could include an increase in reactive oxygen species or involve the p53 gene.

According to a report of 2013 of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there is a relationship “causal” between the use of both mobile and cordless phones and the risk of glioma is “possible.”