Mobile Phones and Cancer – Is There a Link? - Ajit Patel Goldshield, Ajit Patel UK, Ajit Patel Wellness

Over the last few months we’ve heard conflicting stories about the health hazards of mobiles phones. The World Health Organization claimed the electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile phones is a ‘possible’ cause of cancer in humans, although they  admitted the evidence was ‘limited’. Even so, they now classify mobile phones as having the same cancer risk as lead, exhaust fumes and chloroform.

Two months later, another international group of experts conducted a major review of research so far and found no convincing evidence of any cancer connection to cell phone use. But, as current data is limited to around 15 years of exposure in adults, and the effects on children (whose scalps and skulls are thinner) have not yet been evaluated, they admit they cannot say definitely that there’s no connection between the two.

So one group says mobile phones may cause cancer (but they’re not sure) and another group says mobile phones don’t cause cancer (but they’re not sure). What are we to believe? As any brain tumours resulting from exposure to mobile phones take several decades to develop, a definitive answer is still several years away.

What’s your risk?

The amount of electromagnetic radiation you receive from your phone depends on a number of factors, some of which you can control: 

• the number of cell phone calls you make per day
• the length of each call
• the size of your handset
• your distance from the nearest network base station
• the amount of cell phone traffic at a given time
• the quality of the cellular transmission
• for older phones, how far the antenna is extended
• whether or not you use a hands-free device

An estimated 5 billion people across the globe own a cell phone. If there is a true health risk, then the number of cases of brain tumour would be expected to increase. The number of people diagnosed with brain tumours has increased slightly in the UK, but much of this increase involves those over the age of 65 and may reflect better diagnostic techniques. When the effects of age are taken into account, the rate at which brain tumours are diagnosed within the UK have remained reassuringly constant at around seven per 100,000 people in the population.

Speaking on Medscape News, cancer researcher Dr John Maris, Chief of the Division of Oncology at The Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia offers firm reassurance. ‘There is nothing at all to be worried about,’ he says. ‘Radio waves that come from a cell phone are low energy. Very good research has shown that it is a million times lower, literally a million times lower, than the energy that is necessary to damage DNA genetic material and cause mutation and cancer. There is no known biologically plausible way that these devices and the frequency of energy that they emit, which is the same as that which comes from the radio waves that bombard us every day as we listen to our radios, can damage DNA.’

What should you do? 

Most of us couldn’t imagine life without our trusty mobile phone. Although evidence of harm is not conclusive, it makes sense to limit your exposure to cell phone radiation as much as possible. This is especially important for children.

•    Select a low-emission model of phone.
•    Only use your mobile when essential – try to use a land line, or text, instead
•    Keep essential calls short 
•    Avoid using your phone when the signal is weak, which increases power output – find somewhere with a strong signal
•    Avoid using your phone in a confined space such as a lift or train – using it  outdoors, or near a window helps to increase signal strength 
•    When using a cell phone, keep it at least 15 to 25 millimeters away from your body so less radiation is absorbed
•    Keep the phone (especially the aerial) away from your head – use the speakerphone function or a wired earpiece to gain some distance
•    When using a hands-free device, select one that is wired, rather than wireless 
•    Avoid touching the aerial while your phone is turned on
•    Switch off the phone when not in use, such as at night 
•    Avoid playing games on your mobile 

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