
New study reignites debate over cell phone use and cancer
New study reignites debate over cell phone use and cancer
The debate over the link between cell phone use and cancer continues to generate mixed signals, thanks to a new study that has raised concerns about the health effects of a device that many Americans feel they can’t live without. The research adds to a string of findings that have confused consumers for years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is “no scientific evidence” that cell phones cause cancer, but adds that “more research is needed.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies radiation from mobile phones as “possibly carcinogenic”. But the IARC Interphone study, one of the largest ever conducted, “found no increased risk of glioma or meningioma with cell phone use of more than 10 years.” Meanwhile, in 2014, Swedish scientists said their study of cell phone use and cancer “clearly shows an increased risk”, while an Australian study published this year “found no increase in brain cancer”.
Another study, more concerns
Enter the US Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program (NTP), which last month released the partial results of a study that once again made consumers concerned about the safety of their phones. NTP researchers exposed mice in the womb to nine hours of radio frequency (RF) waves from cell phones for a week. When the mice were born, they were divided by sex, divided into groups again, and exposed to different levels of radiation. Mice were beaten with cell phone waves (10 min, 10 min) for nine hours a day for two years. The results showed that some mice developed malignant gliomas in the brain and schwannomas (benign nerve sheath tumors) in the heart.
Juan Alzati, a neurosurgeon at our hospital near Chicago, says the study’s circumstances and preliminary results raised more questions than they answered. For example, only male rats developed tumors. The mice exposed to the highest levels of radiofrequency waves also lived longer than the other mice in the study, and all mice were exposed to radiofrequency waves for much longer than the average person with normal use. “I have yet to see anyone talking for nine hours straight on a mobile phone,” Dr. Elzati says.
The results of the study attracted media attention and sent mixed signals to consumers. Some headlines described the research as a “revolutionary” study with “explosive” results. Others expressed doubts. For example, one Washington Post headline urged readers: “Don’t believe the hype.”
Many experts agree with this advice. “Studies looking at the links between cell phone use and cancer have been inconclusive and contradictory,” says Pamela Creeley, MD, director of the Division of Medical Oncology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. ® (CTCA) and chief of the medical oncology department at our Philadelphia Hospital. “Studies have come to conflicting conclusions over the years. More studies will be needed to know who has the last word.”
During a call, radio frequency waves bounce to and from the phone’s antenna to nearby cell towers. Radio frequency waves, such as visible light, FM radio signals, and microwaves, are a form of non-ionizing radiation, meaning they do not produce enough energy to change the structure of an atom. Ultraviolet radiation and X-rays are examples of ionizing radiation that can damage human cells.
Dr. Elzati agrees that more studies are needed, but says the prevailing evidence suggests there is no link between cell phones and cancer. “The sun is more likely to cause cancer than cell phone waves,” he says. “Time will eventually tell us whether we are right or wrong. But if there is any direct link between cell phone use and brain tumors, or any tumor, we will see a significant increase in cancer. And we don’t see it.”
What you can do to manage risk
If you still have concerns about cell phone use, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies recommend several ways to limit your exposure to radiofrequency, including:
- Use your cell phone’s speakerphone or get a hands-free device.
- Instead of making a call, send a text, but only send a text when it is safe to do so.
- Cut off your cell phone conversations.
- Check the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of your phone. The lower it is, the better.
- Use a landline phone.
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