Fears About Link Between Cell Phones and Cancer Re-Emerge

In this day of instant communications, email and IM's, the cell phone has become a mainstay. Many young people don't remember a life apart from the ownership of cell phones. However there is a renewed effort underway to warn people about the dangers of using cell phones or even having them close to the body because of an increased risk of cancer. The possible link between cell phones and cancer is not new. Sounding the clarion call this time is Dr. Ronald Helberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Dr, Helberman sent a memorandum to 3000 of the institute faculty and staff, warning of the dangers of cell phone use, especially in children. Devra Davis, director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center of Environmental Oncology believes that children under the age of 17 are at the greatest risk of harm from electromagnetic radiation from cell phones because their brains are not fully developed and their skulls have not completely hardened.

In her article Top 12 Ways To Reduce Cancer, Davis writes, "Children should not use cell phones. Studies claiming that there is no link between cell phone use and brain cancer were not conducted on people who used cell phones as much as the average person today. Cell phones emit low doses of microwave radiation that destroy rat brain cells and memory and reach one inch into the human brain."

Numerous studies have been undertaken that support Helberman and Davis's claims; however other studies have been undertaken to dispel these same notions. Many of the researchers on these issues say that the nature of the studies and the criteria do not take into account the fact that the cell phone has a variety of components that could share culpability. Since many cancers can take over 40 years to develop others feel there is no definitive data to make a purely scientific claim, Helberman and Davis indicate that it would be folly to wait until there are enough instances of death or people with cancer to sound the alarm and advocate erring on the side of caution.

Helberman and Davis are not the only medical professionals weighing in on this issue. According to Health101.org, Larry King recently featured three well-respected neurosurgeons on Larry King Live to talk about whether cell phones increase the risk of cancer. Each surgeon indicated that they do not hold their cell phones up to their ears when using them. Keith Black, a surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said "I think the safe practice is to use an earpiece so you keep the microwave antenna away from your brain."

Dr. Vini Khurana, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Australian National University and an outspoken critic of cell phones, indicated that he uses the cell phone in speaker phone mode and does not hold it to his ear. In another portion of the same interview that was referenced on www.brain-surgery.us. Larry King indicated that Dr.Khurana felt that the health fall out from cell phone usage would be more far reaching than asbestos or tobacco.

Larry King asked Dr. Khurana what he based his supposition on.

He said, "I base it on the fact, Larry, that at this point in time, there are just over three billion users of cell phones worldwide. So that's half of our world population, or almost half. We've reached saturation points. For example, in Australia, there are 22 million cell phones and 21 million people. And the concern is not just brain tumors, but other health effects associated or reported to be associated with cell phones, including behavioral disturbances, salivary gland tumors, male infertility and microwave sickness syndrome. So we're not just talking about tumors, and I was not just implying brain tumors, but there are other health effects. And with so many users and users starting at the age of three and up now, we should be concerned. And I stand by those comments." Dr, Khurana was referencing a study he oversaw that concluded that the use of cell phones doubled the incidence of brain cancer in people who had used cell phones for 10 years or more. Also appearing on Kings show was CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is also a neurosurgeon at Emory University. Dr. Gupta, also prescribes using a ear piece when using a cellphone.

Per Health101.org, Interphone,a significant study that was undertaken in 13 different countries suggested a link between cell phone use and three different tumors. They are glioma; cancer of the parotid, a salivary gland near the ear; and acoustic neuroma, a tumor that essentially occurs where the ear meets the brain.

If you're a cellophile then this may not be welcome news. Whether you believe these allegations are true or just more proganda from the Bluetooth consortium, looking to cell headsets, it can't hurt to err on the side of caution and utilze those hands free devices. As with anything that may be harmful, the only sure fire way to be safe is to give them up all together. Society's current obsession with the cell phones makes this seem an unlikely scenario.

Sources

http://www.brain-surgery.us/mobilephone.html

http://www.health101.org/art_cell_phones.htm

http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Pittsburgh_Cancer_Institute_Issues_Warning_On_Cell_Phone_Risks_20836.html

http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/BrainCancer/tb/10239