Children 5 Times More Likely To Get Brain Cancer From Cell Phones

[Ed Hansberry]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/mobile-phone-use-raises-childrens-risk-of-brain-cancer-fivefold-937005.html' target='_blank'>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/s...old-937005.html</a><br /><br /></div><p>I think the last time I posted on cell phones and brain cancer the conclusion was, it does not increase the risk of cancer, but I don't really remember because it seems to change every year or so. The latest research out of Sweden concludes that until your brain is fully developed around the age of 20, you may be five times more likely to get brain cancer from a cell phone than an adult. Of course, if cell phones don't increase the risk of brain cancer in adults, 5 X 0 = 0. I am not making light of it, there just seems to be new and different research so often it makes me wonder if enough time has passed to conclude anything.<br /><br /><em>"Children and teenagers are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use mobile phones, startling new research indicates. The study, experts say, raises fears that today's young people may suffer an "epidemic" of the disease in later life. At least nine out of 10 British 16-year-olds have their own handset, as do more than 40 per cent of primary schoolchildren."</em><br /><br />Both of my kids have cell phones, primarily because we don't have a land line. The oldest texts about 200 messages a day it seems and the youngest about 20 per month. Neither spend much time talking on the phone. The study suggest kids should use a hand-free headset. Has anyone concluded that bluetooth radiation is less harmful than cell phone radiation?<br /></p>

[Jon Westfall]

You don't remember the last time because it's already fried your brain!!! :eek:

And I don't remember either because it got mine long ago.

[Rob Alexander]

Ed, you understand statistics. They are not saying the increased risk of cancer for children from cell phone use is five times the increased risk of cancer for adults using cell phones, which is how you have interpreted it in your 5x0 comment.

They are saying that children who use cell phones are five times more likely to have brain cancer than children who do not use cell phones. Children who do not use cell phones do sometimes get brain cancer and so the risk is not zero. That is to say that, if the chance of contracting cancer is 1 in 1 million for non cell phone using children, then the risk for cell phone using children is 5 in 1 million. (Made-up numbers, of course.) I have no idea if they're correct or not, but that is what they're saying, and it is not a meaningless thing to say.

[Rocco Augusto]

The oldest texts about 200 messages a day it seems and the youngest about 20 per month.

200 messages a day?! My dad would have revoked the right for me to have thumbs :D

Then again, when I was a kid a text message was like $5 a character. Thats why I had a beeper. ;)

[Ed Hansberry]

200 messages a day?! My dad would have revoked the right for me to have thumbs :D

Then again, when I was a kid a text message was like $5 a character. Thats why I had a beeper. ;)

Well, not every day. We have unlimited texting, so it doesn't matter. A surprising number of his messages are 3 chars or less. They use it like IM.

[Brad Adrian]

We have unlimited texting...
My daughter uses text messaging like IM, too, and she *thought* we had an unlimited texting package. Imagine our surprise when the bill came for the 1,700 she sent above our allowance in one month, at a cost of $0.20 apiece.:eek:

[Joel Crane]

Totally off the record, but my dad is a physician. He says as far as he knows, there isn't a single bit of solid evidence that WiFi or cell phones cause cancer.

Soon, it will be theory taught as fact, just like evolution. When they come up with some proof, I'll be happy to check it out.

I just got unlimited text messaging, and I'm 19. Its so nice, I never use my minutes any more.

Oh, one more thing! My Pocket PC, Laptop, Cell phone, and wireless router (With high gain antenna) all sleep less than 6 feet from me. It's been this way for years. If I get cancer, I'll be sure to post up my results before I kick the bucket.

[Rocco Augusto]

Well, not every day. We have unlimited texting, so it doesn't matter. A surprising number of his messages are 3 chars or less. They use it like IM.

That actually isn't to surprising. I remember having a list of beeper codes that we would use as kids to communicate in a short effective manner. :)

[Rob Alexander]

Totally off the record, but my dad is a physician. He says as far as he knows, there isn't a single bit of solid evidence that WiFi or cell phones cause cancer.

Soon, it will be theory taught as fact, just like evolution. When they come up with some proof, I'll be happy to check it out.


Well, your dad probably hasn't read this research and, apparently, neither have you since this is the "single bit of solid evidence" you say doesn't exist. Here's a tip... just because you are uninformed about something, doesn't mean it isn't true... just like evolution. :rolleyes:

[Ed Hansberry]

Well, your dad probably hasn't read this research and, apparently, neither have you since this is the "single bit of solid evidence" you say doesn't exist. Here's a tip... just because you are uninformed about something, doesn't mean it isn't true... just like evolution. :rolleyes:

From the article:
The study, experts say, raises fears that today's young people may suffer an "epidemic" of the disease in later life.

He said: "It looks frightening to see a five-fold increase in cancer among people who started use in childhood," but he said he "would be extremely surprised" if the risk was shown to be so high once all the evidence was in.

A theory does not a fact make, and all the speculation and models in the world do not constitute solid evidence. Observations of actual events constitute evidence, and apparently, no one has witnessed cancer forming due to cell phone usage to my knowledge.

I'd love to be shown where it has through. Can you give me a link to any actual observations of a theory discussed in this thread - something like a tumor shown to come from cell phone usage or one species changing into another? ;)

[Reid Kistler]

Headlines & News Blurbs often emphasize the Extreme - and, by their very nature tend to oversimplify the situation.

Still, am glad our kids (mostly) grew up without constant cell phone usage, and would probably at least attempt to impose SOME limitations on them if they were still pre-teens - better safe then sorry... (Although for more reasons than Just Health concerns...;).)

OTOH, got a call from No. 1 Son (who works for AT&T Wireless) the other day who referenced a study that CONSTANT blue-tooth usage had been shown to be Likely Dangerous.

He called because he knows I use a BT headset a lot - but my tendency is to turn it off when not actually using it, whereas the study indicated that the danger is in leaving it on for hours on end (which some people apparently do).

Long and the short of is that we don't REALLY KNOW what the impact of cell phones, blue-tooth, wireless internet & so on are - certainly not Long Term - but it would make sense that IF there is an impact it just might be more pronounced on children and/or on those who have exposure over a longer period of time, and/or at higher levels.... Gets complicated - and with so many Possible Causes in our environment, it might be difficult to prove or disprove causality for some time....:(

Similarly, it could well be that certain people are more sensitive to any impact than others (why do many smokers get lung cancer - while others don't?).

Upshot is that we will each have to make the choice that seems best, according to the information we have at hand. But, as a parent, would still feel a need to impose a higher level of protection on behalf of children....