A Report on Non-Ionizing Radiation

Japan: No Increased Risk of Acoustic Neuroma

November 29, 2006

Japanese researchers do not see an increase in acoustic neuroma among users of mobile phones. In a paper appearing in the December issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a team led by Naohito Yamaguchi of the Tokyo Women's Medical University reports that the "risk of acoustic neuroma did not increase with the duration of mobile phone use, nor with the total call time." This study followed a slightly modified Interphone protocol and stands in contrast to the Swedish Interphone study which found an increase in acoustic neuroma after ten years of phone use, but is in agreement with the Danish Interphone study which also reported no association. The Japanese study included only four cases and 12 controls who had used their phones more than eight years. No word on how many of these has used them for at least ten years. Yamaguchi recommends that future efforts should target such long-term users. (Note: This paper is an "editor's choice" and a "pdf" of the complete paper can be downloaded at no charge.)