Radiofrequency Radiation: A Factor in Increasing Thyroid Cancer?

Over the past three decades, there has been a near tripling of thyroid cancer cases, both within the U.S. and globally. In fact, the rapid rise in thyroid cancer cases is expected to rank it as the fourth most common cancer worldwide by 2030. A study from 2017 revealed a 3% yearly increase in thyroid cancer cases in the U.S. from 1974 to 2013, with the researchers asserting that this data suggests a genuine surge in the U.S. thyroid cancer rates.

Furthermore, the study indicated that this surge is largely attributed to the growth in papillary thyroid cancer cases, which originates in the follicular cells responsible for producing and storing thyroid hormones. Approximately 80% of all thyroid cancers are of the papillary type.

The Role of Cell Phones

A 2013 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association argues that the surge in thyroid cancer isn’t merely because of enhanced diagnosis or increased screening but is likely influenced by environmental triggers. Notably, mounting scientific data from both human and animal research indicates that the non-ionizing radiofrequency (RF) radiation from cell phones and Wi-Fi may be causing harm to the thyroid. Researchers from Scandinavia have highlighted that papillary thyroid cancers are especially vulnerable to radiation.

A staggering 97% of American adults possess a cell phone as of recent data. In 2019, a study from Yale indicated that individuals with prolonged, intense cell phone usage faced heightened thyroid cancer risks. The risk was notably higher for those who had utilized cell phones for over fifteen years, more than two hours daily, or had a larger overall usage duration. Moreover, those who had made the most calls throughout their life showed a heightened risk. Men with over fifteen years of cell phone usage faced more than double the risk of thyroid cancer in comparison to non-users. Simultaneously, women who used cell phones for over two hours daily experienced a 52% higher thyroid cancer risk than those who didn’t use cell phones.

In an early 2020 study led by several of the same Yale scientists, the research showed that individuals possessing certain genetic anomalies faced over double the risk of thyroid cancer from cell phone use compared to those without these variations. Upon analyzing 176 genes, they pinpointed ten variations (known as single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs) that, in the presence of cell phone usage, seemed to escalate the risk of thyroid cancer in a statistically significant manner (p < 0.01).