Thyroid cancer Archives - EMFSA

Increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in the Nordic countries

Editor — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 23:13:35 +0000

Source: Lennart Hardell’s blog https://lennarthardellenglish.wordpress.com/2021/04/22/increasing-incidence-of-thyroid-cancer-in-the-nordic-countries-2/

Posted on April 22, 2021

During use of the handheld wireless phone, especially the smartphone, the thyroid gland is a target organ. During the 21st century, the incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing in many countries. We used the Swedish Cancer Register to study trends from 1970 to 2017.

During that time period, the incidence increased statistically significantly in women The increase was especially pronounced during 2010–2017. Increasing incidence was found also in men. Similar results were found for all Nordic countries based on NORDCAN.

These results are in agreement with recent results on increased thyroid cancer risk associated with the use of mobile phones. We postulate that RF radiation is a causative factor for the increasing thyroid cancer incidence.

This article is a follow-up to our previous publication on the same issue.

The results show that it is important to protect the thyroid gland from exposure to radiofrequency radiation from wireless phones, e.g. the smartphone. It should be used only for short calls always in the speaker mode or using handsfree.

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Study links exposure to nighttime artificial lights with elevated thyroid cancer risk

Editor — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 06:33:36 +0000

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/915929#:~:text=People%20living%20in%20regions%20with,of%20the%20American%20Cancer%20Society.

Date: February 8, 2021

Summary: People living in regions with high levels of outdoor artificial light at night may face a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer.

FULL STORY

People living in regions with high levels of outdoor artificial light at night may face a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer. The finding comes from a study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

Over the past century, nightscapes — especially in cities — have drastically changed due to the rapid growth of electric lighting. Also, epidemiological studies have reported an association between higher satellite-measured levels of nighttime light and elevated breast cancer risk. Because some breast cancers may share a common hormone-dependent basis with thyroid cancer, a team led by Qian Xiao, PhD, of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, looked for an association between light at night and later development of thyroid cancer among participants in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which recruited American adults aged 50 to 71 years in 1995-1996. The investigators analyzed satellite imagery data to estimate levels of light at night at participants’ residential addresses, and they examined state cancer registry databases to identify thyroid cancer diagnoses through 2011.

Among 464,371 participants who were followed for an average of 12.8 years, 856 cases of thyroid cancer were diagnosed (384 in men and 472 in women). When compared with the lowest quintile of light at night, the highest quintile was associated with a 55 percent higher risk of developing thyroid cancer. The association was primarily driven by the most common form of thyroid cancer, called papillary thyroid cancer, and it was stronger in women than in men. In women, the association was stronger for localized cancer with no sign of spread to other parts of the body, while in men the association was stronger for more advanced stages of cancer. The association appeared to be similar for different tumor sizes and across participants with different sociodemographic characteristics and body mass index.

The researchers noted that additional epidemiologic studies are needed to confirm their findings. If confirmed, it will be important to understand the mechanisms underlying the relationship between light at night and thyroid cancer. The scientists noted that light at night suppresses melatonin, a modulator of estrogen activity that may have important anti-tumor effects. Also, light at night may lead to disruption of the body’s internal clock (or circadian rhythms), which is a risk factor for various types of cancer.

“As an observational study, our study is not designed to establish causality. Therefore, we don’t know if higher levels of outdoor light at night lead to an elevated risk for thyroid cancer; however, given the well-established evidence supporting a role of light exposure at night and circadian disruption, we hope our study will motivate researchers to further examine the relationship between light at night and cancer, and other diseases,” said Dr. Xiao. “Recently, there have been efforts in some cities to reduce light pollution, and we believe future studies should evaluate if and to what degree such efforts impact human health.”

Story Source:

Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Dong Zhang, Rena R. Jones, Peter James, Cari M. Kitahara, and Qian Xiao. Associations between artificial light at night and risk for thyroid cancer: a large U.S. cohort study. Cancer, 2021 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33392

Wiley. “Study links exposure to nighttime artificial lights with elevated thyroid cancer risk.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 8 February 2021. .

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/915929#:~:text=People%20living%20in%20regions%20with,of%20the%20American%20Cancer%20Society.

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Associations between artificial light at night and risk for thyroid cancer: A large US cohort study

Editor — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 06:04:51 +0000

Dong Zhang, Rena R. Jones, Peter James, Cari M. Kitahara, and Qian Xiao. Associations between artificial light at night and risk for thyroid cancer: a large U.S. cohort study. Cancer, 2021 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33392

Abstract

Background

Light at night (LAN) inhibits nighttime secretion of melatonin and may cause circadian disruption, which may be a risk factor for cancer. Recent studies have linked high LAN exposure with elevated breast cancer risk. Given that breast cancer may share a common hormone‐dependent etiology with thyroid cancer and that circadian rhythms play a role in regulating thyroid function, the authors hypothesized that exposure to LAN is positively associated with thyroid cancer incidence.

Methods

This study examined the association between LAN and thyroid cancer incidence in the National Institutes of Health–American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study. LAN exposure was estimated from satellite data and was linked to residential addresses at the baseline. Incident thyroid cancer cases were ascertained via linkage to state cancer registries. Cox regression was used to determine the relationship between LAN and thyroid cancer risk, with adjustments made for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and other environmental factors.

Results

Among 464,371 participants, a positive association was found between LAN and thyroid cancer risk. Specifically, in comparison with the lowest quintile of LAN, the highest quintile was associated with a 55% increase in risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18‐2.02). The association was primarily driven by papillary thyroid cancer and was stronger in women (HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.26‐2.60) than men (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.86‐1.94). In women, the association was stronger for localized cancer, whereas in men, the association was stronger for a more advanced stage. Results were consistent across different tumor sizes.

Conclusions

LAN was positively associated with thyroid cancer risk. Future studies are needed to confirm this association and identify underlying biological mechanisms.

https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.33392

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Is the Increasing Incidence of Thyroid Cancer in the Nordic Countries Caused by Use of Mobile Phones?

Editor — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 08:59:04 +0000

Carlberg, M.; Koppel, T.; Hedendahl, L.K.; Hardell, L. Is the Increasing Incidence of Thyroid Cancer in the Nordic Countries Caused by Use of Mobile Phones? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 9129.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Pollution and Thyroid)

Abstract

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) at the World Health Organization (WHO) categorized in 2011 radiofrequency (RF) as a possible human carcinogen, Group 2B. During use of the handheld wireless phone, especially the smartphone, the thyroid gland is a target organ. During the 21st century, the incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing in many countries. We used the Swedish Cancer Register to study trends from 1970 to 2017. During that time period, the incidence increased statistically significantly in women with average annual percentage change (AAPC) +2.13%, 95% confidence interval (CI) +1.43, +2.83%. The increase was especially pronounced during 2010–2017 with annual percentage change (APC) +9.65%, 95% CI +6.68, +12.71%. In men, AAPC increased during 1970–2017 with +1.49%, 95% CI +0.71, +2.28%. Highest increase was found for the time period 2001–2017 with APC +5.26%, 95% CI +4.05, +6.49%. Similar results were found for all Nordic countries based on NORDCAN 1970–2016 with APC +5.83%, 95% CI +4.56, +7.12 in women from 2006 to 2016 and APC + 5.48%, 95% CI +3.92, +7.06% in men from 2005 to 2016. According to the Swedish Cancer Register, the increasing incidence was similar for tumors ≤4 cm as for tumors >4 cm, indicating that the increase cannot be explained by overdiagnosis. These results are in agreement with recent results on increased thyroid cancer risk associated with the use of mobile phones. We postulate that RF radiation is a causative factor for the increasing thyroid cancer incidence.

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https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/23/9129

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Thyroid Cancer, Genetic Variations, and Cell Phones Linked in New Yale School of Public Health Study

Editor — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 23:48:11 +0000

Radiation from cell phones is associated with higher rates of thyroid cancer among people with genetic variations in specific genes, a new study led by the Yale School of Public Health finds.

The researchers examined over 900 people in Connecticut and found that those with certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (genetic variations commonly referred to as SNPs and pronounced as “snips”) were significantly more likely to develop cancer in their thyroid, a gland in the throat that controls metabolism.

Cell phone users with SNPs in four of the genes studied were more than two times likely to develop cancer. The researchers examined a total of 176 genes and identified 10 SNPs that appear to increase the risk of thyroid cancer among cell phone users.

Published in the journal Environmental Research, the study is believed to be the first to examine the combined influence of genetic susceptibility and cell phone use in relation to thyroid cancer.

“Our study provides evidence that genetic susceptibility influences the relationship between cell phone use and thyroid cancer,” said Yawei Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. “More studies are needed to identify populations who are susceptible to radiofrequency radiation (RFR) and understand exposure to RFR by different using patterns of cell phones.”

Genetic susceptibility may modify the association between cell phone use and thyroid cancer: A population-based case-control study in Connecticut

Editor — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 13:55:51 +0000

Abstract

Emerging studies have provided evidence on the carcinogenicity of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) from cell phones. This study aims to test the genetic susceptibility on the association between cell phone use and thyroid cancer. Population-based case-control study was conducted in Connecticut between 2010 and 2011 including 440 thyroid cancer cases and 465 population-based controls with genotyping information for 823 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 176 DNA genes. We used multivariate unconditional logistic regression models to estimate the genotype-environment interaction between each SNP and cell phone use and to estimate the association with cell phone use in populations according to SNP variants. Ten SNPs had P < 0.01 for interaction in all thyroid cancers. In the common homozygote groups, no association with cell phone use was observed. In the variant group (heterozygotes and rare homozygotes), cell phone use was associated with an increased risk for rs11070256 (odds ratio (OR): 2.36, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30–4.30), rs1695147 (OR: 2.52, 95% CI: 1.30–4.90), rs6732673 (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.01–2.49), rs396746 (OR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.13–5.65), rs12204529 (OR: 2.62, 95% CI: 1.33–5.17), and rs3800537 (OR: 2.64, 95% CI: 1.30–5.36) with thyroid cancers. In small tumors, increased risk was observed for 5 SNPs (rs1063639, rs1695147, rs11070256, rs12204529 and rs3800537), In large tumors, increased risk was observed for 3 SNPs (rs11070256, rs1695147, and rs396746). Our result suggests that genetic susceptibilities modify the associations between cell phone use and risk of thyroid cancer. The findings provide more evidence for RFR carcinogenic group classification.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935119308102?via%3Dihub

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Cell phone use and risk of thyroid cancer: a population-based case–control study in Connecticut

Editor — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 14:58:51 +0000

Luo J, Deziel NC, Huang H, et al. Cell phone use and risk of thyroid cancer: a population-based case-control study in Connecticut. Ann Epidemiol. 2019;29:39-45. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.10.004

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6344271/

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Cancers of the brain and CNS: global patterns and trends in incidence-Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) and Cancer

Editor — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 10:54:44 +0000

Mortazavi SMJ, Mortazavi SAR, Paknahad M. Cancers of the Brain and CNS: Global Patterns and Trends in Incidence. J Biomed Phys Eng. 2018;8(1):151-152. Published 2018 Mar 1.

Correspondence

With great interest, we have read the article by Miranda-Filho et al. entitled “Cancers of the brain and CNS: global patterns and trends in incidence” that is published in the journal of Neuro-Oncology (2016) doi:10.1093/neuonc/now166 [1].

In this article, the authors provided a global status report of the geographic and temporal variations in the incidence of brain and CNS cancers in different countries across continents worldwide.

The paper authored by Miranda-Filho et al. not only addresses a challenging issue, it can be considered as a good contribution in the field of brain and CNS cancers. However, it has at least one basic shortcoming regarding its literature review.

The authors confirmed the role of genetic risk factors and ionizing radiation exposures but claim that no firm conclusion could be drawn about the role of exposure to non-ionizing radiation, a new type of inescapable exposure which has been increased exponentially over the past decades.

“Exposure to non-ionizing radiation, especially radiofrequency fields from mobile phones but also low frequency fields, infections with some viruses, use of hormonal contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, statins,vitamin D level, alcohol, height, BMI, and occupational exposures have been investigated, but no firm conclusions can be drawn at present”. They also cite a Nordic study which could not show any association between increased mobile phone use and glioma:

“A recent study conducted in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden revealed that although mobile phone use increased dramatically, the incidence of glioma remained almost constant between 1979 and 2008 in all 4 countries”.

It seems that Miranda-Filho et al. did not consider the findings of other studies which found a signicant link between exposure to non-ionizing radiation and cancer. For example, a recent large-scale study conducted by the U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) revealed statistically significant increases in cancer in rodents exposed to GSM or CDMA signals for two-years.

This study showed that when the intensity of radiation increased, the incidence of cancer among the rats also increased [2].

This 25,000,000 USD study that is the most complex study completed by the NTP, showed that the occurrence of malignant gliomas in the brain and schwannomas of the heart, can be linked to exposure to mobile phone radio–frequency radiation (RFR) “The occurrences of two tumor types in male Harlan Sprague Dawley rats exposed to RFR, malignant gliomas in the brain and schwannomas of the heart, were considered of particular interest,and are the subject of this report”. It is worth noting that the NTP study is criticized for its possible flaws by some researchers. In this light we can even exclude this study and consider other studies which seem to be more valid. Bortkiewicz et al. have recently performed a meta-analysis and reported that their findings supported this hypothesis that long-term use of mobile phones was linked to increases risk of intracranial tumors [3].

Another meta-analysis performed recently by Wang and Guo showed a signicant association between mobile phone use (> 5 years use) and the risk of glioma [4]. Furthermore, Yakymenko et al. have previously reviewed the published data on carcinogenic effects of long term exposure to low intensity microwave radiation [5]. They stated that there were reports indicating that exposure to low intensity microwave could lead to cancer progression in laboratory animals and humans. They also stated that the carcinogenic effect of these radiations was more prominent for long term exposures (> 10 years).

Moreover, as Miranda-Filho et al. had claimed that in case of low frequency fields there is no firm conclusions at present, it is worth noting that the findings of a case-control study performed by Carlberg et al. on occupational exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields and glioma risk found an increased risk in late stage (promotion/progression) of astrocytoma grade IV [6]

There are scientists who believe that we cannot see the fingerprint of any increase in brain cancer incidence at population-level. They focus on this point that mobile phones were introduced 30 years ago and became ubiquitous 20 years ago or so. Therefore, we should be high on the shoulder of any brain cancer tempora lrisk distribution by now and if that risk were real and significant we should be able to see it, while we cannot. Based on the current evidence, it can be claimed that the fingerprint (increased brain cancers) is indeed visible now! “Mobile phone use has been increasing in Western, developed societies (de Vocht et al., 2011;Khurana et al., 2009) as well as worldwide (Khurana etal., 2009), and in parallel the incidence of certain types of brain cancers has also been increasing in the previous decades (Dobes et al., 2011; Zada et al., 2012)” [7] . Moreover, EMF-induced cancers cannot be limited to brain and CNS cancers and other cancers (e.g. thyroid cancers) should be taken in to account “This study has shown an increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in Sweden and the Nordic countries. Better diagnostic imaging cannot solely account for the increase”… “Exposure to RF-EMFs also merits in-depth investigation.The design of our study does not permit conclusions regarding causality” [8].

Correspondence: Cancers of the brain and CNS: global patterns and trends in incidence-Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) and Cancer (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316059480_Correspondence_Cancers_of_the_brain_and_CNS_global_patterns_and_trends_in_incidence-Electromagnetic_Fields_EMFs_and_Cancer [accessed Jun 21, 2017]. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316059480_Correspondence_Cancers_of_the_brain_and_CNS_global_patterns_and_trends_in_incidence-Electromagnetic_Fields_EMFs_and_Cancer

Cancers of the Brain and CNS: Global Patterns and Trends in Incidence https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5928307/

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