Are mobile phones safe?

People today are on their mobile phones for far longer than just a couple of decades ago, which may affect their risk of cancer from such usage. — Filepic

I HAVE a very busy job that requires me to be on the phone a lot, as well as plenty of friends, whom I tend to message with throughout the day, sometimes even until 2am. I have noticed that I get tired a lot more than I used to.

My mother warned me that too much mobile phone usage can cause brain cancer. Is this true?

Honestly, there are many conflicting studies on this issue.

In order to answer that question, you have to first know how mobile phones work.

Mobile phones send and receive signals to and from nearby cell towers using radiofrequency waves.

These waves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum – have a look at the accompanying graphic.

Uh, what does the graphic mean?

It means that mobile phone radiofrequency waves are non-ionising radiation whose danger to humans lie between that of radiowaves and wifi, i.e. low danger levels.

These waves do not have enough energy to cause cancer by directly damaging your DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).

In contrast, ionising radiation such as ultraviolet, X-rays and the gamma rays used in radiotherapy can break your DNA, which can lead to cancer.

So using mobile phones does not cause cancer?

Scientists are always worried about this because mobile phones are held close to your head while being used.

That is why there are many studies on this.

Abnormal growths that can evolve in or around your head include brain tumours (both cancerous and non-cancerous), acoustic neuromas (that grow on the nerve from your ear to the brain) and salivary gland tumours.

There was a very large study called the Interphone Study done in 13 countries.

It found no increased risk of cancer in most of the mobile phone users, except for those who had extremely high mobile phone usage.

There was a large Danish research trial, which also showed no correlation between cancer risk and mobile phone usage.

There was also the Million Women Study in the United Kingdom, which showed no correlation between the two either.

However, all these studies had limitations because they were not able to follow the study participants for a long period of time.

These studies were also done some time ago.

People today use their mobile phones a lot more for more varied purposes, e.g. surfing the Internet, going on social media, watching movies, playing games etc, compared to the study participants of a couple of decades ago, who mostly used their phones just to call people.

In addition, these studies were only done on adults, not children.

So, can a child today get cancer from using the mobile phone too long?

Again, very few studies have been done on children.

Children nowadays use mobile phones far more frequently than their parents did growing up.

One study that involved children and teenagers did not show a significant link to brain tumours, but the number of people involved in the study was small.

This means that the results may not be very reliable.

Are there any official guidelines from international cancer authorities on this issue?

The American Cancer Society does not have any official position on whether mobile phone usage can lead to cancer or not.

However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified radiofrequency radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.

This is based on the limited evidence of a possible increase in risk for brain tumours among mobile phone users, and inadequate evidence for other types of cancer.

However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a report that concluded: “There is insufficient evidence to support a causal association between radio frequency radiation (RFR) exposure and [tumour formation].”

Should I do something about my mobile phone usage then?

Too much of anything is never a good thing, and that includes even exercise and healthy food.

Don’t forget that even if there is no evidence yet to say mobile phones cause cancer, spending so much time on your phone can impact your eyesight, as well as cause fatigue and many other ailments.

If you are concerned about radiofrequency waves and still cannot do without a phone, then:

> Use landlines instead of mobile phones as much as you can.

> Use the loudspeaker or video, so that you don’t have to hold the cell phone to your head.

> Text, rather than talk (but not when you are driving or walking!).

> Set a limit to the amount of time you and your kids spend on the mobile phone.

Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health, computers and entertainment. For further information, email [e-mail]. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.