Study Shows Cell Phone Usage Direct Link to Brain Tumors

We’ve heard the claims, and we don’t really take it seriously, but recent studies show that it’s true.Yes, cell phone usage leads to a higher susceptibility to cancer. In a 37-page report by a group of international scientists calling themselves International EMF (Electromagnetic Field) Collaborative, it is concluded that there is a 400% increased risk of acquiring cancer among cell phone users. This is even more dangerous especially for children and teenagers.

Some countries are, in fact, making a move to prevent this by banning cell phone use over health concerns. One example is France which only allows children in elementary schools  to use cell phones for texting. The report’s author, Lloyd Morgan said that cell phones can be used appropriately and have a certain usefulness, but fears we will see a tsunami of brain tumors, although it is too early to see that now since the tumors have a 30-year latency.

The most telling research regarding this issue was noted in a study published in May 2009 in the International Journal of Oncology by a Swedish team of scientists led by Professor Lennart Hardell. It noted that digital cell phone and cordless phone use by users who started when they were teenagers or younger led to a 420% increased risk of brain cancer. Hardell had earlier found that analog cell phones caused a 700% greater risk of cancer, although today’s digital phones lessen the power requirements and reduce the risk.

In the report, it was noted that the risk comes from holding the phone too close to the head for long periods of time. So recommendations to prevent this includes using a headset in taking prolonged calls. Also, the study recommends keeping the cell phone away from your body, including in pockets, and avoiding use in a moving vehicle, since that tends to increase the power and the radiation required as the device moves farther from a cell tower.

Well of course, this report will sound bad for wireless carriers and handset makers. If governments ban cell phone use over health concerns, then manufacturers and service providers will lose a big chunk of their profits. So its no surprise that John Walls, vice president of public affairs for the CTIA, a group representing wireless carriers and handset makers in the U.S., said that it is not so. In his statement, he said that:

Peer-reviewed scientific evidence has overwhelmingly indicated that wireless devices do not pose a public health risk. He noted that the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have all concurred that wireless devices are not a public health risk.