Online first
Review paper
Published online: 2024-09-26
The impact of cell phone use on the formation of brain tumors
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Abstract
Cell phone use is increasing and now includes nearly 6.9 billion subscribers. A common concern is the effect of long-lasting phone calls on the formation of brain tumors, due to the proximity of this region. The aim of the following review was to verify this association along with a potential molecular background. The results of epidemiological studies are inconclusive. Most of them do not indicate a significantly increased risk of central nervous system cancers in phone users. However, some indicate that there is an increased risk of gliomas and a worse prognosis for patients with long-term phone use (in terms of cumulative hours and number of calls). Experimental studies show that radiation emitted by phones is able to induce changes in cell biology by generating oxidative stress, causing DNA damage and affecting gene expression. Therefore, further observation of the population and evaluation of the results of ongoing studies is needed to accurately assess this risk.
Keywords: brain tumorscell phonescarcinogenesispublic health
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