Publication related to RSI or an RSI staff member
Occupational exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic fields and brain tumor risk in the INTEROCC study: An individualized assessment approach.
INTRODUCTION: In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) as possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B), although the epidemiological evidence for the association between occupational exposure to RF-EMF and cancer was judged to be inadequate, due in part to limitations in exposure assessment. This study examines the relation between occupational RF and intermediate frequency (IF) EMF exposure and brain tumor (glioma and meningioma) risk in the INTEROCC multinational population-based case-control study (with nearly 4000 cases and over 5000 controls), using a novel exposure assessment approach. METHODS: Individual indices of cumulative exposure to RF and IF-EMF (overall and in specific exposure time windows) were assigned to study participants using a source-exposure matrix and detailed interview data on work with or nearby EMF sources. Conditional logistic regression was used to investigate associations with glioma and meningioma risk. RESULTS: Overall, around 10% of study participants were exposed to RF while only 1% were exposed to IF-EMF. There was no clear evidence for a positive association between RF or IF-EMF and the brain tumors studied, with most results showing either no association or odds ratios (ORs) below 1.0. The largest adjusted ORs were obtained for cumulative exposure to RF magnetic fields (as A/m-years) in the highest exposed category (>/=90th percentile) for the most recent exposure time window (1-4 years before the diagnosis or reference date) for both glioma, OR = 1.62 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86, 3.01) and meningioma (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.65, 3.55). CONCLUSION: Despite the improved exposure assessment approach used in this study, no clear associations were identified. However, the results obtained for recent exposure to RF electric and magnetic fields are suggestive of a potential role in brain tumor promotion/progression and should be further investigated.
Authors
- Vila, Javier, Vila J, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: javier.vila@isglobal.org.
- Turner, Michelle C, Turner MC, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
- Gracia-Lavedan, Esther, Gracia-Lavedan E, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
- Figuerola, Jordi, Figuerola J, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
- Bowman, Joseph D, Bowman JD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), OH, USA.
- Kincl, Laurel, Kincl L, Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, OR, USA.
- Richardson, Lesley, Richardson L, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Canada.
- Benke, Geza, Benke G, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
- Hours, Martine, Hours M, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon1 Claude Bernard, IFSTTAR, Unité Mixte de Recherche Épidémiologique et de Surveillance Transports Travail Environnement, Lyon, France.
- Krewski, Daniel, Krewski D, McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
- McLean, Dave, McLean D, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand.
- Parent, Marie-Elise, Parent ME, INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Université du Québec, Laval, Canada.
- Sadetzki, Siegal, Sadetzki S, Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology Unit, Gertner Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Schlaefer, Klaus, Schlaefer K, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- Schlehofer, Brigitte, Schlehofer B, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
- Schuz, Joachim, Schuz J, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Section of Environment and Radiation, Lyon, France.
- Siemiatycki, Jack, Siemiatycki J, University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), Montreal, Canada.
- van Tongeren, Martie, van Tongeren M, Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Centre for Epidemiology, The University of Manchester, UK.
- Cardis, Elisabeth, Cardis E, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
INTRODUCTION: In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) as possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B), although the epidemiological evidence for the association between occupational exposure to RF-EMF and cancer was judged to be inadequate, due in part to limitations in exposure assessment. This study examines the relation between occupational RF and intermediate frequency (IF) EMF exposure and brain tumor (glioma and meningioma) risk in the INTEROCC multinational population-based case-control study (with nearly 4000 cases and over 5000 controls), using a novel exposure assessment approach. METHODS: Individual indices of cumulative exposure to RF and IF-EMF (overall and in specific exposure time windows) were assigned to study participants using a source-exposure matrix and detailed interview data on work with or nearby EMF sources. Conditional logistic regression was used to investigate associations with glioma and meningioma risk. RESULTS: Overall, around 10% of study participants were exposed to RF while only 1% were exposed to IF-EMF. There was no clear evidence for a positive association between RF or IF-EMF and the brain tumors studied, with most results showing either no association or odds ratios (ORs) below 1.0. The largest adjusted ORs were obtained for cumulative exposure to RF magnetic fields (as A/m-years) in the highest exposed category (>/=90th percentile) for the most recent exposure time window (1-4 years before the diagnosis or reference date) for both glioma, OR = 1.62 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86, 3.01) and meningioma (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.65, 3.55). CONCLUSION: Despite the improved exposure assessment approach used in this study, no clear associations were identified. However, the results obtained for recent exposure to RF electric and magnetic fields are suggestive of a potential role in brain tumor promotion/progression and should be further investigated.