The very rapid worldwide increase in mobile phone use in the last decade has generated considerable interest in the possible health effects of exposure to radio frequency (RF) fields. A multinational case–control study, INTERPHONE, was set-up to investigate whether mobile phone use increases the risk of cancer and, more specifically, whether the RF fields emitted by mobile phones are carcinogenic. The study focused on tumours arising in the tissues most exposed to RF fields from mobile phones: glioma, meningioma, acoustic neurinoma and parotid gland tumours. In addition to a detailed history of mobile phone use, information was collected on a number of known and potential risk factors for these tumours. The study was conducted in 13 countries. Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the UK using a common core protocol. This paper describes the study design and methods and the main characteristics of the study population. INTERPHONE is the largest case–control study to date investigating risks related to mobile phone use and to other potential risk factors for the tumours of interest and includes 2,765 glioma, 2,425 meningioma, 1,121 acoustic neurinoma, 109 malignant parotid gland tumour cases and 7,658 controls. Particular attention was paid to estimating the amount and direction of potential recall and participation biases and their impact on the study results.

Background: Adverse health effects at relatively low levels of ambient air pollution have consistently been reported in the last years. We conducted a time-series panel study of subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and ischemic heart disease (IHD) to evaluate whether daily levels of air pollutants have a measurable impact on the lung function of adult subjects with pre-existing lung or heart diseases.Methods: Twenty-nine patients with COPD, asthma, or IHD underwent repeated lung function tests by supervised spirometry in two one-month surveys. Daily samples of coarse (PM_10–2.5) and fine (PM_2.5) particulate matter were collected by means of dichotomous samplers, and the dust was gravimetrically analyzed. The particulate content of selected metals (cadmium, chrome, iron, nickel, lead, platinum, vanadium, and zinc) was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Ambient concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O₃), and sulphur dioxide (SO₂) were obtained from the regional air-quality monitoring network. The relationships between concentrations of air pollutants and lung function parameters were analyzed by generalized estimating equations (GEE) for panel data.Results: Decrements in lung function indices (FVC and/or FEV₁) associated with increasing concentrations of PM_2.5, NO₂and some metals (especially zinc and iron) were observed in COPD cases. Among the asthmatics, NO₂was associated with a decrease in FEV₁. No association between average ambient concentrations of any air pollutant and lung function was observed among IHD cases.Conclusion: This study suggests that the short-term negative impact of exposure to air pollutants on respiratory volume and flow is limited to individuals with already impaired respiratory function. The fine fraction of ambient PM seems responsible for the observed effects among COPD cases, with zinc and iron having a potential role via oxidative stress. The respiratory function of the relatively young and mild asthmatics included in this study seems to worsen when ambient levels of NO₂increase.

Aim: To validate short term recall of mobile phone use within Interphone, an international collaborative case control study of tumours of the brain, acoustic nerve, and salivary glands related to mobile telephone use. Methods: Mobile phone use of 672 volunteers in 11 countries was recorded by operators or through the use of software modified phones, and compared to use recalled six months later using the Interphone study questionnaire. Agreement between recalled and actual phone use was analysed using both categorical and continuous measures of number and duration of phone calls. Results: Correlations between recalled and actual phone use were moderate to high (ranging from 0.5 to 0.8 across countries) and of the same order for number and duration of calls. The kappa statistic demonstrated fair to moderate agreement for both number and duration of calls (weighted kappa ranging from 0.20 to 0.60 across countries). On average, subjects underestimated the number of calls per month (geometric mean ratio of recalled to actual = 0.92, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.99), whereas duration of calls was overestimated (geometric mean ratio = 1.42, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.56). The ratio of recalled to actual use increased with level of use, showing underestimation in light users and overestimation in heavy users. There was substantial heterogeneity in this ratio between countries. Inter-individual variation was also large, and increased with level of use. Conclusions: Volunteer subjects recalled their recent phone use with moderate systematic error and substantial random error. This large random error can be expected to reduce the power of the Interphone study to detect an increase in risk of brain, acoustic nerve, and parotid gland tumours with increasing mobile phone use, if one exists.

OBJECTIVES--Benzene is an established animal and human carcinogen. The mechanism of benzene toxicity, particularly its leukaemogenic effect, is not fully understood. The modified base 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) is a sensitive marker of the DNA damage due to hydroxyl radical attack at the C8 of guanine. This damage, if left unrepaired, has been proposed to contribute to mutagenicity and cancer promotion. We conducted this biomonitoring study with the aim of evaluating the association between excretion of 8-OHdG and level of exposure to benzene and other aromatic compounds among occupationally exposed people. METHODS--A random sample of 65 filling station attendants from Rome, Italy was studied for personal exposure to benzene, toluene, and xylenes, and excretion of 8-OHdG. Information about age, length of employment, smoking habits, and diagnostic exposure to x rays was collected by questionnaire. An average yearly level of exposure to benzene and methylbenzenes was calculated for each filling station attendant on the basis of about seven repeated personal samples collected during one year. A spot sample of 20 ml of urine was collected from each worker. Concentrations of 8-OHdG were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with coupled columns. RESULTS--A mean (SD) concentration of 1.36 (0.49) mumol of 8-OHdG/mol of creatinine was measured. A significant correlation was found between urinary 8-OHdG and exposure to benzene (r = 0.34). In a multiple regression analysis relating the concentration of urinary 8-OHdG with the age, length of employment, smoking, diagnostic exposure to x rays and personal exposure to benzene, an increase of 0.15 mumol/mol creatinine in urinary 8-OHdG/unit increase in the natural logarithm of the average yearly benzene concentration was estimated. CONCLUSION--This study shows a dose-response effect between personal exposure to benzene and urinary 8-OHdG concentration; further studies are needed to clarify the biological significance of 8-OHdG as a marker of cancer risk.

We present estimates of population‐based 5‐year relative survival for adult Europeans diagnosed with central nervous system tumors, by morphology (14 categories based on cell lineage and malignancy grade), sex, age at diagnosis and region (UK and Ireland, Northern, Central, Eastern and Southern Europe) for the most recent period with available data (2000–2002). Sources were 39 EUROCARE cancer registries with continuous data from 1996 to 2002. Survival time trends (1988 to 2002) were estimated from 24 cancer registries with continuous data from 1988. Overall 5‐year relative survival was 85.0% for benign, 19.9% for malignant tumors. Benign tumor survival ranged from 90.6% (Northern Europe) to 77.4% (UK and Ireland); for malignant tumors the range was 25.1% (Northern Europe) to 15.6% (UK and Ireland). Survival decreased with age at diagnosis and was slightly better for women (malignant tumors only). For glial tumors, survival varied from 83.5% (ependymoma and choroid plexus) to 2.7% (glioblastoma); and for non‐glioma tumors from 96.5% (neurinoma) to 44.9% (primitive neuroectoderm tumor/medulloblastoma). Survival differences between regions narrowed after adjustment for morphology and age, and were mainly attributable to differences in morphology mix; however UK and Ireland and Eastern Europe patients still had 40% and 30% higher excess risk of death, respectively, than Northern Europe patients (reference). Survival for benign tumors increased from 69.3% (1988–1990) to 77.1% (2000–2002); but survival for malignant tumors did not improve indicating no useful advances in treatment over the 14‐year study period, notwithstanding major improvement in the diagnosis and treatment of other solid cancers.