The MOBI-KIDS study aims to assess the risk of brain tumors in young people aged 10-24 years old in relation to their exposure to electromagnetic fields from wireless communication technologies such as mobile phones. The international case-control study involves 15 countries and will collect data through interviews with brain tumor patients and controls to evaluate their use of mobile phones and other wireless devices, as well as other environmental and genetic risk factors. Validation studies will also be conducted to verify self-reported mobile phone use and tumor diagnoses. The study began participant recruitment and data collection in 2010 and aims to include nearly 2,000 brain tumor cases.

1. MOBI-KIDS
MOBI-KIDS
Study on communication technology,
environment and brain tumours
in young people
Geertje Goedhart
National field work coordinator MOBI-KIDS The Netherlands
MOBI-KIDS study coordinator:
Elisabeth Cardis, CREAL,
Spain

2. Outline presentation
 Background
 Study objective
 Study design
 Data collection
 Validation studies
 Planning
 Questions?
MOBI-KIDS study 2

3. Background: Brain tumours
 Brain tumours second most common
cancer type in young people (after
leukemia)
 Risk factors of brain tumours largely
unknown
◦ Known risk factors:
 Family history of brain tumours
 Ionizing radiation
◦ Speculated risk factors:
 Chemicals
 Allergies
 Electromagnetic fields (EMF)

4. Background:
Communication technologies
 Dramatic increase in wireless
communication technology usage, e.g.
mobile phone, WiFi, particularly among
young people
 Public and public health concern/interest
◦ International recommendations:
 WHO International EMF Project
 EU supported EMF-Net
◦ National recommendations

5. RF & (Children’s) Health
 Health effects of radiofrequency fields (RF)
hardly demonstrated at this point, e.g.
INTERPHONE
… but if there is a risk, it is likely to be greater
for exposures in childhood and adolescence
…
 Children will have more exposure:
◦ Greater quantity of use as much cheaper than
before
◦ Many more years of use
 Children may be more vulnerable
due to developing brain andMOBI-KIDS study
skull 5

6. Children’s exposure is
greater…
The relative mean MSAR1g tends to be
higher in children than in adult brain tissues
(results normalized to children)
Wiart et al, 2008
MOBI-KIDS study 6

7. Study objective
To assess the risk of brain tumours
in young people in relation to:
◦ childhood and adolescent
exposure to EMF from wireless
communication technologies
◦ other potential environmental and
host factors

8. Participating countries (15)
 Australia  New Zealand
 Austria  Spain
 Canada  Taiwan
 France  The Netherlands
 Germany  UK
 Greece
 India
 Israel
 Italy
 Japan
MOBI-KIDS study 8

9. Project management
 Funding:
◦ European Union – FP7 -
Grant agreement nº226873
◦ National and local
grants
 International coordinator:
Elisabeth Cardis, CREAL,
Barcelona, Spain
MOBI-KIDS study 9

10. Study design
 Case-control study
◦ Cases
 Benign and malignant brain tumours
 Aged 10-24y
 Diagnosed during study period
 Residing in study region
◦ Controls
 Hospital-based (to minimize non-participation and
selection bias): patients operated for suspected
appendicitis
 Aged 10-24y
 2 per case
 Individually matched on age, sex and region
MOBI-KIDS study 10

11. Expected number of brain tumour cases
in the age range 10-24y
Country Expected number of cases
Per year Study period
Australia 71 178
Austria 35 86
Canada 94 234
France 94 235
Germany 125 313
Greece 25 63
India ? ?
Israel 40 120
Italy 68 169
Japan ? ?
New Zealand 25 63
S pain 125 313
Taiwan ? ?
The Netherlands 84 210
Total 786 1,984
MOBI-KIDS study 11

12. Data collection
 Face-to-face interview with subject &
parent(s):
◦ Detailed communication technology usage, e.g.
mobile phone, cordless phone, WiFi
◦ History of home and school addresses
◦ Subject and family history of diseases
◦ Exposure to medical and dental radiation
◦ Occupational history
◦ Exposures in utero and preconception
 Optional: Saliva collection for genetic
analyses
MOBI-KIDS study 12

13. Validation self-reported
mobile phone use
 Historical traffic/billing records
from providers
◦ Frequency and duration of voice and data
use
 Software-modified-phones (SMP) study
among volunteers
◦ Frequency and duration of voice and data
use
◦ Laterality
◦ Estimated output power
MOBI-KIDS study 13

14. Validation brain tumour diagnosis
 Tumour localisation:
review of MRI/CT scans to mark precise
location of tumour on specially developed
grids
 Tumour diagnosis:
central review of sample of histological
slides
by international panel of neuropathologists
to verify diagnosis
MOBI-KIDS study 14

15. Planning
 Ethics approvals:
◦ Obtained or ongoing in most countries
 First interviews started in first
countries in October 2010
 Data collection duration: 2.5 years
MOBI-KIDS study 15

16. www.mbkds.com
Questions?
Thanks to: S Sadetzki, R Bruchim, E Cardis, H Kromhout, M
Kundi,
M Maslanyj, F Merletti, K Radon, M Sim, R Vermeulen, J
Wiart
on behalf of the MOBI-KIDS Study Group*
*MOBI-KIDS Study Group: Spain, coordinating centre: E Cardis
(Scientific Coordinator), J Alguacil, N Aragones, L Kincl, M Morales,
G Carretero; Australia: M Sim, B Armstrong, G Benke, L Milne, R
Schattner; Austria:
M Kundi; Canada: D Krewski, D Bédard; France: B Lacour, M Hours,
D Delmas, J Wiart; Germany: K Radon, S Brilmayer, S Heinrich,
T Weinmann; Greece: E Petridou, V Panagopoulou; India: R Dikshit,
R Nagrani; Israel: S Sadetzki, R Bruchim; Italy: F Merletti, M Maule,
E Migliore; New Zealand: A Woodward, A ´t Mannetje; Taiwan: CC
MOBI-KIDS study 16
Lin,