A recent Chinese study in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery found risks for parotid gland cancer “as large, perhaps larger, than the risk of lung cancer from smoking”, according to brain tumor risk analyst, Lloyd Morgan. For example, the study found use of a cell phone for greater than 2.5 hours a day to have as much as a 3,000% increased risk for parotid gland tumors.

Correlation between cellular phone use and
epithelial parotid gland malignancies

Duan Y, et al. Correlation between cellular phone use and epithelial parotid gland malignancies, Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg (2011), doi:10.1016/j.ijom.2011.03.007. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

“The authors identified a positive association between long-term and heavy use of cellular phones and epithelial parotid gland malignancy and mucoepidermoid carci-noma (a sub-type of epithelial parotid gland malignancy).”

“The authors found general indications of a dose–response relationship between cellular phone use and parotid gland malignancy. In particular, duration of use prior to diagnosis, average daily number of calls, average daily duration of cellular phone usage, number of calls since first use, and total time of usage were positively associated with parotid gland malignancy.”

Abstract. The authors investigated the association between cellular phone use and epithelial parotid gland malignancy. The subjects were 136 cases who were treated for this condition at the authors’ hospital from January 1993 to March 2010, and 2051 controls who did not have salivary gland tumours and were admitted to the oral and maxillofacial surgery department during the same period. Logistic analysis was used to examine the relationship between cellular phone use and risk of epithelial parotid gland malignancy and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Overall, the frequency of cellular phone use was not significantly associated with epithelial parotid gland malignancy. Female gender, advanced age, married status, high income, and smoking were associated with an elevated risk of epithelial parotid gland malignancy, especially mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Residence in a rural area was associated with reduced risk of epithelial parotid gland malignancy. The results suggest a possible dose–response relationship of cellular phone use with epithelial parotid gland malignancy. The authors suggest that the association of cellular phone use and epithelial parotid gland malignancy and mucoepidermoid carcinoma requires further investigation with large prospective studies.

The Abstract downplays the findings in this study, according to analysts, as an Odds Ration of >20 is indicated in one table. Further analysis to follow.  

Contact:

Haizhong Zhang
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
The Chinese PLA General Hospital
28 Fuxing Road
Beijing 100853 China
Tel: +86 13901104968 (Mobile)
Fax: +86 1066938116
E-mail: [email protected]

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