Relationship between exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Objective: To comprehensively analyze the relationship between human exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) and breast cancer and to discuss the potential risk of ELF-EMFs to human breast cancer. Materials and Methods: Sixteen research reports of case-control studies which were published from 2000 to 2007 were collected. The fixed effect model (FEM) or the random effect model (REM) was chosen to calculate total ORs depending on the outcomes of the test of homogeneity (Q test): the subgroup was analyzed with the menopause and the non-menopause. Outcome: Sixteen research outcome was ORDL = 1.10, 95% CI = (1.01, 1.20), the OR of the non-menopause status group was 1.25, 95% CI = (1.05, 1.49), the ORMH of the menopause status group was ORMH = 1.04, 95% CI = (0.93, 1.18). Conclusion: The authors found that ELF-EMFs may be increase the risk of human breast cancer. The women's exposure to ELF-EMFs may be the risk factor of breast cancer when they are non-menopausal.