Page 32 - Contributed Paper Session (CPS) - Volume 6

CPS1483 Ken Karipidis et. al
1. Introduction
Since its introduction in the mid-80s mobile phone use has grown rapidly
worldwide. When using a mobile phone against the head, the brain is exposed
to much higher levels of radiofrequency (RF) radiation than the rest of the
body (1) and there has been continuing concern of a possible association with
brain cancer. Several case–control and registry-based cohort studies have
found little evidence to support such an association.(1) However a few other
case-control studies have reported modest to large associations with glioma,
the most common type of primary brain tumour.(2,3) These studies have
found no association with other brain tumour types. Based on these results
the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified RF as
“possibly carcinogenic to humans”.(4) a limited number of ecological studies
have shown that although the prevalence of mobile phone use) has seen a
massive increase, the time trends of brain tumour incidence have remained
fairly stable.(5,6) There is also limited data on brain tumour histological types
and anatomical location.
In this study, we analysed the incidence trends of brain tumour for three
distinct time-periods to ascertain the influence of improved diagnostic
methods and increase in mobile phone use. The analysis considered different
histological types and sub-types, and glioma anatomical sites. We further
compared the observed incidence during the period of substantial mobile
phone use (2003-2013) with predicted incidence for the same period based
on relative risks (RRs) reported by the two epidemiological studies forming the
basis of the IARC classification. (2, 3)

2. Methodology
Incidence data on primary cancers of the brain and central nervous system
diagnosed between 1982 and 2013 inclusive were obtained from the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Statistical Analysis of Observed Incidence: We analysed intracranial brain
cancer incidence in adults aged 20-59Annual age-standardized incidence
rates per 100,000 person-years were calculated separately for males, females
and both genders by using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) standard
population. Histology was analysed by categorising glioma, meningioma,
other histological types and brain cancers with unspecified histology.(7) We
further analysed glioma by categorising glioblastoma (which is the most
common brain tumour sub-type) and glioma location (frontal lobe, temporal
lobe, parietal lobe, other locations, overlapping lobes and unspecified).
The incidence rates were low compared to the population at risk so the
variability in the observed cases was assumed to follow a Poisson
distribution.(8) Analyses of incidence time trends were carried out using
Poisson regression to estimate the annual percent change (APC) in the

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