Risk of pituitary tumors in cellular phone users: a case-control study

There is public concern and scientific interest regarding a potential effect of cellular phone use on the risk of developing intracranial tumors. Tumors of the pituitary gland have barely been investigated in this context, but are of interest because of their intracranial location.

We conducted a population-based case-control study between 2001 and 2005 of the risk of developing pituitary tumors in relation to cellular phone use in Southeast England, with 291 cases and 630 controls. Detailed information on cellular phone use was collected by personal interview.

Tumor risk was not associated with cellular phone use overall (adjusted odds ratio = 0.9, 95% confidence interval = 0.7-1.3), and was not appreciably increased 10 or more years after first use (1.0; 0.5-1.9), or after 10 or more years of cumulative use (1.1; 0.5-2.4). Odds ratios were 1.2 (0.7-1.9) for users in the highest quartile of cumulative number of calls and 1.1 (0.7-1.7) in the highest quartile of hours of use. Separate analyses of analog and digital phone use showed no associations with tumor risk.

We found no evidence that the risk of developing pituitary tumors is associated with cellular phone use for the induction time periods and intensities of use observed.