A consortium of five European countries has launched a new cohort study to monitor the health effects of human exposure to radio frequencies emitted by mobile phones.
The investigators -- searching for a definitive answer to a much debated question -- will measure cell phone use and health of at least 200,000 people through self-report questionnaires and operator records over a 20- to 30-year period.
Primary endpoints will be development of cancers, benign tumors, neurological and cerebrovascular diseases, and other symptoms such as headache and sleep disorder, according to a statement on the .
The COSMOS international consortium will pool the results of the studies conducted by the five participating countries, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, and the U.K.
Although there is some debate on the question of whether cell phone radiation causes adverse health effects, most of the research on the subject -- much of which comes from the same countries involved in the new study -- has found little or no association between long-term cell phone use and glioma or other cancers.
The most recent study, published in December, found rates of brain tumor incidence remained stable, or decreased and increased at gradual rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden over a span of almost 20 years. (See Brain Cancer Study Casts Doubt on Cell Phone Danger)
Another study followed 420,095 Danish cell phone users for up to 21 years and found cancer risk for the users was actually lower than the general population, with no elevated risk of brain cancer in particular. (See Once Again, No Cell Phone-Cancer Link Found)
However, a 2008 memo from Ronald B. Herberman, MD, director of the University of Pittsburgh's cancer center, cited data from a declaration made by 23 cancer and public health researchers stating that information on the effects of cell phone use on the human body were inconclusive.
Herberman recommended children be kept away from cell phones except in emergency situations and that his own staff limit the number and length of calls while taking precautions like switching ears during the call, avoiding answering calls in public places, and using text features with mobile devices. (See Cancer Center Director Warns on Cell Phone Use)
The announcement of the new study notes that, while current research has found no related adverse health effects associated with the use of a mobile phone in "short-term exposure," data necessary to make conclusions about long-term exposure is not available, according to a statement on the U.K. COSMOS Web site.