Brain: Tumours

(asked on 11th May 2018) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the causes of changes in the number of cases of (a) brain and (b) glioblastoma multiforme tumours since 1995.


Answered by
Steve Brine Portrait
Steve Brine
This question was answered on 16th May 2018

The changing incidence of cancer is caused primarily by changes in the age of the population. This can be accounted for using an age-standardised rate. Between 2006 and 2015, the age-standardised rate for brain tumours increased from 8.7 per 100,000 to 9.1 per 100,000. However, with a relatively low number of cases it is difficult to be certain that this increase is statistically significant.

Cancer Research UK says that, so far, the scientific evidence shows it is unlikely that mobile phones could increase the risk of brain tumours, or any other type of cancer.

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