BACKGROUND: Use of cell phones has increased dramatically since 1992 when they 
were first introduced in France. Certain electromagnetic fields (at extremely 
low frequency) have been recognized as possibly carcinogenic by the 
International Agency for Research on Cancer. Given the use of radiofrequency 
technology in cell phones, the rapid increase in the number of cell phones has 
generated concerns about the existence of a potential health hazard. To evaluate 
the relationship between the use of cell phones and the development of tumors of 
the head, a multicentric international study (INTERPHONE), coordinated by the 
International Agency for Research on Cancer, was carried out in 13 countries. 
This publication reports the results of the French part of the INTERPHONE study.
METHODS: INTERPHONE is a case-control study focused on tumors of the brain and 
central nervous system: gliomas, meningiomas and neuromas of cranial nerves. 
Eligible cases were men and women, residents of Paris or Lyon, aged 30-59, newly 
diagnosed with a first primary tumor between February 2001 and August 2003. The 
diagnoses were all either histologically confirmed or based upon unequivocal 
radiological images. Controls were matched for gender, age (+/-5 years) and 
place of residence. They were randomly drawn from electoral rolls. Detailed 
information was collected for all subjects during a computer-assisted 
face-to-face interview. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the 
odds ratio (OR) for an association between the use of cell phones and risk of 
each type of cancer.
RESULTS: Regular cell phone use was not associated with an increased risk of 
neuroma (OR=0,92; 95% confidence interval=[0.53-1.59]), meningioma (OR=0,74; 95% 
confidence interval=[0.43-1.28]) or glioma (OR=1.15; 95% confidence 
interval=[0.65-2.05]). Although these results are not statistically significant, 
a general tendency was observed for an increased risk of glioma among the 
heaviest users: long-term users, heavy users, users with the largest numbers of 
telephones.
CONCLUSION: No significant increased risk for glioma, meningioma or neuroma was 
observed among cell phone users participating in Interphone. The statistical 
power of the study is limited, however. Our results, suggesting the possibility 
of an increased risk among the heaviest users, therefore need to be verified in 
the international INTERPHONE analyses.