The INTERPHONE project is a multi-national series of epidemiological studies testing whether using mobile phones increases the risk of various cancers in the head and neck. Data is collected by research teams from 13 countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the UK. These countries adopted mobile technology early and the spread minimises regional bias. It is coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The project focuses on cancers that occur in the head and neck in areas of relatively high exposure to radio signals during mobile phone usage. These cancers include gliomas (tumours arising from glial cells in the brain), meningiomas (tumours of the membranes covering the brain), acoustic neurinomas (tumours of the acoustic nerve) and tumours of the parotid gland (a salivary gland in the cheek).

In addition, some national analyses have examined the relation between other risk factors (for example: smoking, allergies, environmental and occupational risk factors, medical radiation and genes) and the tumours of interest.

Partial results for Denmark, Finland, France, Israel, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the UK have been reported in publications since 2004 and are listed below.

In February 2008 an IARC update stated that manuscripts presenting results of the combined international data analyses are in preparation. More detailed analyses are also underway, focusing on more precise localization of tumours and on the analysis of the effect of RF exposure at the location of the tumour. Adjustment for exposure measurement error based on data from the validation studies is also being conducted in order to assess the impact of these errors on risk. Publication of these analyses is expected in 2008

Overall, the published national studies to date provide no evidence of an increased risk up to 10 years of use. Some analyses based on small numbers of subjects suggest a possible increased risk beyond 10 years but IARC cautions that these findings may be 'causal or artifactual' as there is some evidence of participation bias and differential recall between cases and controls.

The GSMA and the Mobile Manufacturers Forum provided funds, which were administered by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) in order to ensure scientific independence. The sponsors of the INTERPHONE project do not have access to any results of the studies before their acceptance for publication. They may, however, be informed, together with representatives from other interested organisations such as consumers' groups, a maximum of seven days before the publication of the results, under strict terms of confidentiality.

Assessment of radiofrequency exposure from cellular telephone daily use in an epidemiological study: German Validation study of the international case-control study of cancers of the brain-INTERPHONE-Study, Berg et al, Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 15(3):217-224, May 2005

Occupational Exposure to Radio Frequency/Microwave Radiation and the Risk of Brain Tumors: Interphone Study Group, Germany, Berg et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 164(6):538-548, 15 September 2006

Comprehensive Analysis of DNA Repair Gene Variants and Risk of Meningioma, Bethke et al., Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 100(4):270-276, February 20, 2008.

Comprehensive analysis of the role of DNA repair gene polymorphisms on risk of glioma, Bethke et al., Human Molecular Genetics, 17(6):800-805, March 15, 2008

Distribution of RF energy emitted by mobile phones in anatomical structures of the brain,, Cardis et al., Physics in Medicine & Biology, 53(11):2771-2783, 7 June 2008.

International Case-Control Study of Adult Brain, Head and Neck Tumours: Results of the Feasibility Study, Cardis et al., Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 83(1-2):179-183, June 1, 1999

The INTERPHONE study: design, epidemiological methods, and description of the study population, Cardis et al, European Journal of Epidemiology, 22(9):647-664, September, 2007

Cellular Telephone Use and Risk of Acoustic Neuroma, Christensen et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 159(3):277-283, 1 February 2004

Cellular telephones and risk for brain tumors: A population-based, incident case-control study, Christensen et al, Neurology, 64(7):1189-1195, 12 April 2005. Erratum in: Neurology, 65(8):1324, 25 October 2005.

Exposure to Loud Noise and Risk of Acoustic Neuroma, Edwards et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 163(4):327-333, 15 February 2006. Erratum in: American Journal of Epidemiology, 163(12):1163, 15 June 2006

Dietary zinc intake and brain cancer in adults: a case-control study, Dimitropoulou et al, British Journal of Nutrition, Published Online: 2 October 2007

Assigning exposure to pesticides and solvents from self-reports collected by a computer assisted personal interview and expert assessment of job codes: the UK Adult Brain Tumour Study, Hepworth et al, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63(4):267-272, 1 April 2006

Mobile phone use and risk of glioma in adults: case-control study, Hepworth et al, British Medical Journal, 332(7546):883-887, 15 April 2006

Validation of the questionnaire used in the INTERPHONE Study: Measuring mobile telephone use in France, Hours et al, Environnement, Risques & Santé, 6(2):101-109, Mars-Avril 2007

Cell Phones and Risk of brain and acoustic nerve tumours: the French INTERPHONE case-control study, Hours et al, La Revue d'épidémiologie et de santé, 55(5):321-332, October 2007

XRCC1 and XRCC3 variants and risk of glioma and meningioma, Kiuru et al., Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 88(2): 135-142, June 2008

Use of mobile phones in Norway and risk of intracranial tumours, Klaeboe et al, European Journal of Cancer Prevention, 16(2):158-164, April 2007

Selection Bias Due to Differential Participation in a Case-Control Study of Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumors, Lahkola et al, Annals of Epidemiology, 15(5):321-325, May 2005

Mobile phone use and risk of glioma in 5 North European countries, Lahkola et al, International Journal of Cancer, 120(8):1769-1775, 15 April 2007

Incidence of gliomas by anatomic location, Larjavaara et al, Neuro-Oncology, 9(3):319-325, 1 July 2007

Mobile Phone Use and the Risk of Acoustic Neuroma, Lönn et al, Epidemiology, 15(6):653-659, November 2004

Long-Term Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumor Risk, Lönn et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 161(6):526-535, 15 March 2005.

Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Parotid Gland Tumor, Lönn et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 164(7):637-643, 1 October 2006

p53 Genotypes and Risk of Glioma and Meningioma, Malmer et al, Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 14(9):2220-2223, September 2005

Genetic variation in p53 and ATM haplotypes and risk of glioma and meningioma, Malmer et al, Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 82(3):229-237, May 2007

Recall of past use of mobile phone handsets, Parslow et al, Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 106(3):233-40, September 2003

Cellphone use and risk of benign and malignant parotid gland tumors - a nationwide case-control study, Sadetzki et al. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167(4):457-467 15 February 2008

Validation of self-reported cellular phone use, Samkangee-Zeeb et al, Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 14(3):245-248, May 2004

Environmental risk factors for sporadic acoustic neuroma (Interphone Study Group, Germany), Schlehofer et al, European Journal of Cancer, 43(11):1741-1747, July 2007

Mobile phone use and risk of acoustic neuroma: results of the Interphone case-control study in five North European countries, Schoemaker et al, British Journal of Cancer, 93(7):842-848, 3 October 2005

History of allergies and risk of glioma in adults, Schoemaker et al, International Journal of Cancer, 119(9):2001-2246, 1 November 2006

Medical history, cigarette smoking and risk of acoustic neuroma: An international case-control study, Schoemaker et al, International Journal of Cancer, 120(1):103-110, 1 January 2007

History of Allergic Disease and Risk of Meningioma, Schoemaker et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 165(5):477-485, 1 March 2007

Cellular Phones, Cordless Phones, and the Risks of Glioma and Meningioma (Interphone Study Group, Germany), Schüz et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 163(6):512-520, 15 March 2006

Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields Emitted from Base Stations of DECT Cordless Phones and the Risk of Glioma and Meningioma (Interphone Study Group, Germany), Schüz et al, Radiation Research, 166(1):116-119, July 2006

Polymorphisms Associated with Asthma Are Inversely Related to Glioblastoma Multiforme, Schwartzbaum et al, Cancer Research, 65(14):6459-6465, 15 July 2005

An international case-control study of glutathione transferase and functionally related polymorphisms and risk of primary adult brain tumors, Schwartzbaum et al, Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, 16(3):559-656, 1 March 2007

Mobile phone use and acoustic neuroma risk in Japan, Takebayashi et al, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63(12):802-807, 1 December 2006

Validation of short term recall of mobile phone use for the Interphone study, Vrijheid et al, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63(4):237-243, 1 April 2006

Mobile phone use, exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic field, and brain tumour: a case-control study, Takebayashi et al., British Journal of Cancer, 98(3):652-659, 5 February 2008

SAR characterization inside intracranial tumors for case-control epidemiological studies on cellular phones and RF exposure, Varsier et al., Annals of Telecommunications, 63(1-2):65-78, February 2008.

The effects of recall errors and of selection bias in epidemiologic studies of mobile phone use and cancer risk, Vrijheid et al, Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 16(4):371-384, July 2006

Allergic Conditions and Brain Tumor Risk, Wigertz et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 166(8):941-950, 15 October 2007

Risk of Brain Tumors Associated with Exposure to Exogenous Female Sex Hormones, Wigertz et al, American Journal of Epidemiology, 164(7):629-636, 1 October 2006