Cell Phones Do Not Cause Cancer, Probably

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=13399&amp;hed=Cell+Phones+Don%E2%80%99t+Cause+Cancer">http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=13399&amp;hed=Cell+Phones+Don%E2%80%99t+Cause+Cancer</a><br /><br /><i>"In the largest study of its kind to date, scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London have found that cellular phones do not increase the risk of cancer of the nerve that links the ear to the brain, during the first decade of cell phone use. The study appeared in the online edition of The British Journal of Cancer on Tuesday."</i><br /><br />The report goes on to say that they only studied the first decade after using a cell phone. What happens in subsequent decades hasn't been studied.

[Duncan]

The report goes on to say that they only studied the first decade after using a cell phone. What happens in subsequent decades hasn't been studied.

It would be a little difficult to have studied more than one decade - being as hardly anyone used a mobile phone pre-1995 and those that did were using a different mobile tech (analogue rather than digital) anyway...!

[Jerry Raia]

those that did were using a different mobile tech (analogue rather than digital) anyway...!

Quite right and the newer digital phones put out much less microwave energy I would think.

[powder2000]

Another study another day, one more thing to stress or not to stress about. Ignorance is bliss! :roll:

[dMores]

there was a big story in austria's "profil" magazine about an EU study concerning microwave (not the oven) influence on the human body.
that article came as a response to numerous newspapers warning citizens that "cellphones are hazardous for kids".
according to the article in "profil", the study's results were that microwaves actually do influence your body on a cell basis.
what the study did not reveal, however, is if this cell-manipulation process causes cancer, because degeneration of human cells is a natural process; it happens when you're exposed to the sun too. the human body can live with that, it replaces damaged cells.
doctors who were interviewed did not share the newspapers' warning concerning cellphones and children. they said that actually, young people have better cell-reconstruction-mechanisms than adults.

the article went on to give tips about reducing radiation contamination.
don't use a cellphone if your reception is bad
don't cover the antenna with your finger
don't hold the phone to your ear when a call is being connected

what i'm wondering is, there are so many radiosignals surrounding us. tv, radio, wifi, etc. if it were that bad, wouldn't we have ceased to exist already? we'd all be fried by now :)

[G M Fude]

what i'm wondering is, there are so many radiosignals surrounding us. tv, radio, wifi, etc. if it were that bad, wouldn't we have ceased to exist already? we'd all be fried by now :)
A fair comment, but radiation obeys the inverse square law, where the power decreases exponentially from the point of propagation. TV and radio are usually transmitted from a reasonable distance. A mobile phone, unfortunately, is held right next to the user's head when transmitting.

After common use of mobile phones for the past 15 years or so, you'd reckon there'd be a bit of a blip in the medical records if the low power microwaves they generate damaged our brains in some way. Nope... no blip.

[powder2000]

I would say our best hope is to monitor Japan over the next 10-20 years. Everyone there has a cell phone!

[caubeck]

After common use of mobile phones for the past 15 years or so, you'd reckon there'd be a bit of a blip in the medical records if the low power microwaves they generate damaged our brains in some way. Nope... no blip.

If it were as easy as that there would be no large-scale studies at all.

First, you need to conduct research to discover the "blips," not rely on personal experience or what you've seen published to date.

Second, the effects may either manifest differently from what you expect, or may take longer to show.

Thirdly, as people's habits change, so does their exposure to mobile phone technology. Whatever the results of the preliminary reports, this needs to be an ongoing investigation.

[caubeck]

"The paper does report a higher risk of developing a tumor on the same side of the head that people use their cell phones, after at least 10 years of use. However, the researchers conceded that there is little information on which long-term effects can be judged."

You can't ignore this statement, either. As they say, it's too early to judge what the results of decades of use will be, but, "rest assured," we'll all be using cell phones in a few decades' time.

[bdoherty]

After common use of mobile phones for the past 15 years or so, you'd reckon there'd be a bit of a blip in the medical records if the low power microwaves they generate damaged our brains in some way. Nope... no blip.

If it were as easy as that there would be no large-scale studies at all.

First, you need to conduct research to discover the "blips," not rely on personal experience or what you've seen published to date.

Second, the effects may either manifest differently from what you expect, or may take longer to show.

Thirdly, as people's habits change, so does their exposure to mobile phone technology. Whatever the results of the preliminary reports, this needs to be an ongoing investigation.

I agree. I wonder what the results of a study of smoking during the first decade of use is. Chances we would have headlines saying "smoking doesn't cause cancer".

[jlp]

I don't know if it does cause cancer or not; however whenever I use my cell phone (mostly to receive calls) I can clearly feel some disturbance in my head, insomuch as I have to switch sides every 30 seconds or so: it starts hurting in my brain 8O.

This is why I do all I can to shorten all cell phone calls to no more than a few minutes, usually less than 1 or 2 minutes. I had the same problem with my Nokia 6310 and now with my SE T68i.

I've been using cell phones since 1994. But I have VERY light cell phone usage, probably less than 15 minutes a month. I mostly use it for SMS and receiving calls, which as I said I do all I can to shorten the call.

[Agentcdog]

:roll:
The people who study these things I think just make up dumb studies so that they can get grant money.
There are three ways in which EM radiation (what cell phones use) can be dangerous, in order of severity:
1. Radiation that has the resonant frequency of molecular bonds can give a LOT of energy to the molecules that make us up. That's how a microwave oven works. The EM waves have the same frequency as the resonant frequency for water molecules.
2. Radiation can kick off electrons (beta rays) or protons (alpha particles). If an element loses an electron it becomes more volitile. If an element in our DNA loses a proton it can change the DNA. That's why strong radiation can cause cancer.
3. Radiation can generally heat us up.
Cell phone radiation is not even strong enough to kick off an electron unless it is VERY loosely bound. It has no chance of kicking off a proton.
Bottom line: Unless you feel your brain start cooking (the sun is WAY more likely to cook your brain), don't worry.