Written by: Ryan McCaughey, PhD 

A study from Yale University and the Connecticut Health Department found that heavy cell phone use could be linked to thyroid cancer.[i]

Men who used cell phones for more than 15 years had over twice the risk of thyroid cancer as compared to non-cell phone users after controlling for other factors. Women who used cell phones for more than two hours per day had a 52% greater risk of thyroid cancer as compared to non-cell phone users. Although borderline not statistically significant, the authors conclude that “the suggestive elevated risk of thyroid microcarcinoma associated with long-term and more frequent uses warrants further investigation”.

Thyroid cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the U.S. - incidence has nearly tripled since the 1980’s. Improved diagnosis is thought to account for about half of this, but the remainder is likely due to changing environmental and lifestyle factors.

Modern smartphones often transmit from an antenna at the bottom of the phone, increasing the likelihood of exposure to the thyroid gland in the neck.

[i] Cell phone use and risk of thyroid cancer: a population-based case–control study in Connecticut

[ii] Increasing incidence of thyroid cancer in the Nordic countries with main focus on Swedish data