Topic

Addendum to a case control study on uveal melanoma and radio frequency radiation (RIFA Study)

Start

15.03.2004

End

14.03.2005

Project Management

Institute of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, University Clinic, Essen

Objective

A study published a few years ago indicated an increased risk of contracting a rare eye tumor (uveal melanoma) in persons who frequently used mobile phones or radio sets. This study, however, had several methodological limitations. Based on an improved study protocol it is being repeated. In this case-control study, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the University of Essen, patients suffering from this eye tumor (so-called "cases") together with randomly selected persons from hospitals without this illness (so-called "hospital control group"), randomly selected persons from the population (so-called "population controls") and sibling controls will be interviewed on potential risk factors. In order to increase the statistical power by means of increasing the number of cases and controls, the Federal Office of Radiation Protection (BfS) financially contributed to this study.

Results

The study period was from February 2002 to March 2005. For all subjects information was collected on potential risk factors such as occupational and private exposure to UV radiation, family history of uveal melanoma, pigmentation-phenotype, other potential occupational risk factors and exposure to radio frequency radiation (private and occupational use of mobile phones and use of radio sets). Due to the financial addendum of the BfS the study size could be increased by about 21%. Overall a total of 458 cases and 1.210 controls (840 population controls, 182 hospital controls, 188 sibling controls) were interviewed. Thus the study represents the currently largest data base worldwide.

The response rate among cases was high (94%), while it was lower in the three control groups (55% among population controls, 52% among hospital controls and 57% among sibling controls). Subjects who refused an interview were asked to fill in a short questionnaire on selected exposure variables. This allowed a comparison of responder and non-responder with respect to these exposure variables.

The statistical analyses of this study, which had not been subject of the BfS project, are in preparation and the results will be published in an international journal.

The final report is available as PDF-file (1.205 kB) in German language.

A paper describing the rational and the design of the study was published in :
Schmidt-Pokrzywniak A, Jöckel KH, Bornfeld N, Stang A. Case-control study on uveal melanoma (RIFA): Rational and design. BMC Ophthalmology 2004; 4:1-9

Conclusions

The study represents the worldwide largest study on uveal melanoma. Due to the high statistical power and the detailed information on potential confounders the study allows a more detailed evaluation of the risk of uveal melanoma by radio frequency radiation as hitherto. Objective of the main study is to examine whether published results of an increased eye tumor risk from electromagnetic fields can be confirmed, whether there is a dose-effect relationship and whether an association exists between laterality of eye tumors and laterality of typical mobile phone usage. As soon as the main study is finished, the results will be reported on these sides an a link to the corresponding publication will be given. The results will be included in the international evaluation and risk assessment.