Mobi-Kids project: Extensive international data collection on potential risk factors for brain tumours in young people
Brain tumours are the second most common malignancy during childhood. Although childhood brain tumours are, fortunately, still a rare disease, the incidence has been slightly increasing over the past few years. However, very little is known about the risk factors of childhood brain tumours. The MOBI-KIDS study aims to gain important insights into potential environmental risk factors that might increase the risk of brain tumours in young people (aged 10 to 24 years).
Up to 1000 young people with brain tumours are expected to participate in the study over the next three years, and an additional 2000 healthy youngsters will be interviewed as control subjects. The MOBI-KIDS study will be the first to collect such an extensive amount of data on potential risk factors for brain tumours in young people.
During the first period of the study, a comprehensive questionnaire has been developed. The questionnaire will be used to investigate the relationship between brain tumours and a number of potential risk factors, including residential and occupational history, family health information and exposure to sources of electromagnetic fields like wireless communication technologies for example.
Experts from 13 European and non-European countries will collect the data in their respective countries, which will be pooled afterwards to create the largest international database on potential risk factors for brain tumours in young people. Results of this project are expected to be of great importance for /the understanding about the aetiology of brain tumours. Furthermore, it is also likely to make an important contribution to the assessment of potential health risks in relation to wireless communication technologies and other environmental factors.
