The study titled “Increasing Incidence of Thyroid Cancer in the Nordic Countries Caused by Use of Mobile Phones?” examines the rising rates of thyroid cancer in Sweden and other Nordic countries, focusing on the period from 1970 to 2017, and explores the potential link to mobile phone use, particularly smartphones, which expose the thyroid gland to radiofrequency (RF) radiation.
Key findings include:
- A significant increase in thyroid cancer incidence was observed in both men and women during the study period, with a notably sharp rise in recent years. For women, the Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) was +2.13%, and for men, it was +1.49%.
- The increase in incidence was particularly pronounced from 2010 to 2017 for women, with an Annual Percentage Change (APC) of +9.65%.
- Similar trends were observed across all Nordic countries based on NORDCAN data for the period 1970–2016. For women, the APC was +5.83% from 2006 to 2016, and for men, it was +5.48% from 2005 to 2016.
- The increasing incidence could not be explained by overdiagnosis, as the rise was observed for tumors ≤4 cm as well as for larger tumors, indicating a true increase in incidence rather than just an increase in detection.
- The study postulates that RF radiation from mobile phone use is a causative factor for the increasing thyroid cancer incidence, supported by human epidemiology showing an association between mobile phone use and thyroid cancer risk.
The study concludes that the steep increase in thyroid cancer incidence in Sweden and all Nordic countries during the 21st century might be linked to the use of handheld mobile phones, especially smartphones that give high RF radiation exposure to the thyroid gland. This finding calls for further investigation into the health impacts of mobile phone use
The study titled “The Effect of Electromagnetic Radiation due to Mobile Phone Use on Thyroid Function in Medical Students Studying in a Medical College in South India” explored the association between mobile phone radiation exposure and thyroid dysfunction. It was conducted among 83 undergraduate medical students with no pre-existing thyroid disease. The study found a significant correlation between total radiation exposure and an increase in Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels among participants, irrespective of their family history of thyroid illness.
Key findings include:
- 71% of participants had no family history of thyroid disease. Among those with a family history, 20.5% had a first-degree relative and 8.4% had a second-degree relative with thyroid dysfunction.
- Clinical examination revealed that 79.5% of participants were normal, while 13.6% had thyroid swelling, 3.6% had symptoms of thyroid dysfunction, and 3.6% had both.
- Regarding mobile phone usage, 53% spent on average 0.5 hours talking on the phone daily, 28.9% spent 1.5 hours, and 10.8% spent over 3.5 hours.
- There was a significant correlation between total radiation exposure and an increase in TSH among all respondents.
The study underscores the potential impact of mobile phone radiation on thyroid function, suggesting that radiation exposure could influence TSH levels, a marker of thyroid health. This research contributes to the ongoing debate about the health implications of mobile phone use and highlights the need for further studies to understand the broader effects of electromagnetic radiation on human health
