Brain tumours and office working

Is there any link between brain tumours and working in an office?

Brain tumours are relatively rare. In most cases, we do not know what causes brain tumours. Doctors don't know why one person gets a brain tumour and another doesn't. We do know that they are not infectious. You can't 'catch' a brain tumour.

Some people who work in offices worry about their computers and computer screens (VDUs) increasing their risk of a brain tumour. Computer screens and monitors do give out electromagnetic radiation, which can be harmful above certain levels. But the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) say that the levels of radiation given out are well below the safe levels set out in international recommendations. The HSE are responsible for the regulation of health and safety risks arising from work activity in Britain.

Another organisation called the Health Protection Agency Radiation Protection Division provides information and advice about protection from radiation hazards. One of their advisory groups has recently looked into the health effects of computer screens. They found no strong reasons for suggesting that they had any harmful effects on the people who use them.

In our environment, the only factor that can definitely increase the risk of brain tumours is exposure to radioactivity (ionising radiation). Certain types of brain tumours are more common in people who have had radiotherapy to the head in the past.

There are a few other risk factors that we do know about and these include:

Age - brain tumours can occur at any age, but are more common the older you get
Genetic conditions - up to 5 out of every 100 brain tumours (5%) are related to known genetic conditions
Weakened immunity - a rare brain tumour called primary cerebral lymphoma is more common in people with an immune system that doesn't work properly

There have been many other possible causes investigated, but none of these have been proved. People who work in certain industries or professions may have an increased risk of a brain tumour from the chemicals they are exposed to. Other suggested risk factors are