By Olle Johansson, Assoc.
prof.
The Experimental Dermatology Unit
Department of Neuroscience
Karolinska Institute
171 77 Stockholm
Sweden
Cancer is, unfortunately, spreading
in the modern society. Nearly all cancer forms are increasing when it comes to
incidence, i.e. new cases/year (cf. Hallberg & Johansson 2002a). It could
recently be read in the BBC News that skin cancer is rising in young adults, and
Sara Hiom, head of the health information at Cancer Research UK said, when
interviewed, that "Non-melanoma cancers are rising at an alarming
rate".
Non-melanoma cancers are
rising at an alarming rate
More and more research efforts goes
into understanding the molecular mechanisms behind these various progressive
cancer forms, and much more money is spent on finding new drugs to treat
patients. However, oddly enough, very little is spent on understanding the
actual causes for cancer. Among such possible causative agents, more and more
focus is nowadays put on modern gadgets, such as mobile telephones and
computers, and their chemical and physical emissions, including flame
retardants and electromagnetic non-ionising radiation.
Childhood leukemia was early
connected to power-frequent magnetic fields already in the pioneering work by
Wertheimer and Leeper (1979), and more recently Scandinavian scientists have
identified an increased risk for acoustic neuroma (i.e., a benign tumor of the
eighth cranial nerve) in cell phone users, as well as a slightly increased risk
of malignant brain tumors such as astrocytoma and meningioma on the same side
of the brain as the cell phone was habitually held (Hardell et al. 1999, 2004,
2005; Lonn et al. 2004). In addition, a clear association between adult cancers
and FM radio broadcasting radiation has been noticed, both in time and location
(Hallberg & Johansson 2002b, 2004, 2005a). Initial studies on facial nevi
indicates that nowadays also young children can have a substantial amount of
these. If it can be shown that radiofrequent radiation is not correlated with
child cancers the current focus on low-frequency electromagnetic fields can
continue. If there is also a radiofrequent and/or microwave correlation then this
must be considered in future research as well as in today's preventive work.
Most recently, Dr. Djemal
Beniashvili and other scientists at the Edith Wolfson Medical Center in Holon,
Israel, have demonstrated a possible link between exposure to power-frequent
electromagnetic fields and breast cancer in elderly women (Beniashvili et al.
2005). They compared the breast cancer rates in elderly women from an earlier
period (1978-1990) to a more recent period (1991-2003), which has been
characterized by a much more extensive use of personal computers (more than 3
hours a day), mobile telephones, TV sets, and other household electrical
appliances. They used available medical records extending over a period of 26
years, involving the analysis of more than 200,000 samples.
Most recently a possible
link has been demonstrated between exposure to power-frequent electromagnetic
fields and breast cancer in elderly women
Among the elderly women who
developed breast cancer in the first time frame, 20 percent were regularly
exposed to power-frequent fields. But in the more modern period 51 percent were
so exposed, mainly through the use of personal computers. The authors
concluded: "There was a statistically significant influence of
electromagnetic fields on the formation of all observed epithelial mammary
tumours in the second group." This represented a more than two-fold
increase, which was considered highly significant (cf. Beniashvili et al.
2005).
Of course, many other environmental
factors have changed during the period 1978-1990, but increased environmental
exposure to power-frequent fields is among the more conspicuous changes to have
taken place. Naturally, there are many aspects of this question that remain to
be clarified, and, from a scientific point of view, it is far from conclusively
settled.
During the second half of the 20th
century an increasing rate of lung cancer was noticed in Sweden. Since mid 1960
tobacco smoking has been associated with this cancer and believed to be the
main cause. Less noticed, though, is the fact that no connection between
smoking and lung cancer was noticed before 1955. Together with my coworker
Örjan Hallberg we have therefore initiated a project with the intention to
review facts that may shed new light on this sudden increase in getting lung
cancer after 1955 in Sweden.
A large number of scientific reports
point at tobacco smoking as being the main cause to the increasing rate of lung
cancer in the world. These reports have mainly been produced during the second
half of the 20th century. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare (Sw.
"Socialstyrelsen") states that 80-90% of the lung cancer deaths are
caused by smoking. The main part of the victims are also smokers. About 10% of
the lung cancer deaths have been non-smokers. This has led to the suspicion
that also passive smoking can cause lung cancer. Other environmental factors
such as radon and asbestos are believed to cause a number of lung cancer deaths
per year, and especially if combined with smoking.
As pointed out above, Hallberg and
Johansson have earlier reported about a strong association between
body-resonant non-ionising radiation (FM-radio, 100 MHz) and the existence of
malignant melanoma of the skin (Hallberg & Johansson 2002b, 2004, 2005a).
Since this frequency range has a penetration depth of about 10 cm into the
human body there is a suspicion that resonant currents may affect the immune
defense system also when it comes to beating cancer cells in the lungs. Due to
that it is well motivated to study in detail how the presence and rate of lung
cancer have changed in Sweden, in the U.K., and in other countries as this new
environmental factor was added.
We have shown how the rate
of lung cancer can accelerate in connection with a sudden exposure of a
population to such body-resonant
radiation
In a yet unpublished report
(Hallberg & Johansson 2005b), we have shown how the rate of lung cancer can
accelerate in connection with a sudden exposure of a population to such
body-resonant radiation. From this work, it can be noticed that persons, who
have been smoking for many years, suddenly could get lung cancer relatively
short after the introduction of the FM-radio. This abrupt increase was not
noticed in counties where the FM-radio still was not rolled out. It is also
noticeable that deaths due to asbestosis have not been known until after the
1960's despite the fact that asbestos has been used as a building material
since the end of the 19th century. In our work it is also shown how weak the
connection is between lung cancer and cigarette consumption in a number of
countries. But if the lung cancer mortality is normalized to the melanoma of
skin mortality in the same countries, all of a sudden a very strong correlation
appears. This indicates that there is a common factor behind the fast
increasing mortality of skin and lung cancer that we have noticed e.g. in
Sweden.
An automated computer analysis of
the age-specific incidence of lung cancer among men in Sweden points at year
1955 as the starting year for a sudden environmental change in Sweden and that
this disturbance mainly affects men over 60 years of age. This method of
analysis has successfully been applied to study the development of melanoma of
skin in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and the USA.
Authorities responsible for the
health of the general population should have a big interest in causative
factors behind such major cancer types. Doctors and specialists should know
more about the real causes behind lung cancer. Epidemiologists in general might
get inspired to test new methods and to look at populationhealth problems from
a new perspective. Only the future, however, will know the answer to these medical
hypotheses.
Beniashvili D, Avinoach'm I, Baasov D, Zusman
I, "The
role of household electromagnetic fields in the development of mammary tumors
in women: clinical case-record observations", Med Sci Monit 2005; 11:
CR10-13
Hallberg Ö, Johansson O, "Cancer trends during the 20th
century", J Aust Coll Nutr & Env Med 2002a; 21: 3-8
Hallberg Ö, Johansson O, "Melanoma incidence and
frequency modulation (FM) broadcasting", Arch Environ Health 2002b; 57:
32-40
Hallberg Ö, Johansson O, "Malignant melanoma of the skin
- not a sunshine story!", Med Sci Monit 2004; 10: CR336-340
Hallberg Ö, Johansson O, "FM broadcasting exposure time
and malignant melanoma incidence", Electromag Biol Med 2005a; 24: 1-8
Hallberg Ö, Johansson O, "Lung cancer may accelerate
during exposure to body-resonant FM-broadcasting radiation", 2005b;
submitted
Hardell L, Näsman Å, Påhlson A, Hallquist A, Hansson Mild K,
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Hardell L, Mild KH, Carlberg M, Hallquist A, "Cellular
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age groups" Arch Environ Health 2004; 59: 132-137
Hardell L, Carlberg M, Mild KH, "Case-control study on
cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for acoustic neuroma or
meningioma in patients diagnosed 2000-2003", Neuroepidemiology 2005; 25:
120-128
Lonn S, Ahlbom A, Hall P, Feychting M, "Mobile phone use
and the risk of acoustic neuroma", Epidemiology 2004; 15: 653-659
Wertheimer N, Leeper E, "Electrical wiring configurations and childhood
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