I’m reading in the news that there’s this study finding no link between mobile phones and cancer. That’s good, right? What do I need to know about the study and what should I do now?
Thanks,
Confused by the News
Image: Ed Yourdon.
Dear Confused,
Yes, this latest study — the largest of its kind yet — didn’t find any significant link, so headlines all over are declaring “no cancer link” and “mobile phones don’t increase cancer risk”. But it’s impossible to prove a negative (like you can’t prove there’s no invisible unicorn watching you right now), thus the debate rages on. There’s still no definitive answer and as usual, more research is needed. But here’s some background for you, plus tips on what you can do.
This latest study, published in BMJ, is an update of a nationwide Danish study that covered more than 350,000 mobile phone users. It found no link between owning a mobile phone and tumours in the brain or central nervous system, even after over a decade of mobile phone ownership. Good news, right?
It’s important to note that I said ownership, not use — that was one of the study’s limitations. It substituted subscriptions for usage. A group of experts from several countries are fiercely criticising the study now, saying that it’s flawed based on the choice of individuals in the control group, such as leaving out corporate users, as well as an increased risk found in eight cases of a very rare type of cancer.
Previous studies on the possible link between cancer and mobile phones have been similarly hotly-debated and inconclusive. No one study is definitive. Because of this, the best thing we can do is educate ourselves about the facts: there’s no consistent link proven yet, but mobile phones do emit radio frequency energy. The US’s National Cancer Institute has a good fact sheet on mobile phone cancer risk explaining the key points and current studies, as well as guidelines for the “better safe than sorry” measures you can take:
- Use a hands-free kit
- Don’t use your mobile phone for long periods of time near your head
Sometimes, the back-and-forth findings (with experts arguing amongst themselves) can be more confusing than helpful. Still, the more research that is done, the better. We’re sure there will be more studies to read about in the future and take with a grain of salt.
Cheers,
Lifehacker
Mudze
Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 1:13 PMAdd that to the fact that the previous studies didn’t take all the variables of cancer into account, there has never been an actual link.
More y’ know.
Alan
Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 2:40 PMForget about cancer – think about cars.
I don’t know any study proving this, but I am sure that more people will die because of using a phone while crossing the road than due to cancer from radio waves.
I know there has been studies saying that using a phone while driving is like being drunk at the wheel, so if both the driver and the pedestrian are both using their phone, looks like someone is going to die.
Yeah right
Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 4:50 PMAnd what of the cell towers popping up everywhere? Are we to believe they blast out strawberries & rainbows?
Rossco
Monday, October 24, 2011 at 10:43 AMMore mobile towers are unlikely to increase the power to a point where it can hurt you. Mobile phone signals are non-ionising EMR so it can’t inherently move electrons so unless you are standing right next to an antenna at a phone tower, it is not going to have enough energy to harm you. If you are close enough (standing right next to it) and the transmission is powerful enough it will heat you up and hurt you but you are never going to be that close. Your mobile phone’s power is much much lower and if the reason why so much DSP is required at the mobile phone tower.
Ash
Monday, October 24, 2011 at 9:15 AMIt would have been great if they ensured the use of a mobile phone with male and females in different age groups was consistent over a decade so that they could come to some sort of “conclusion” (I use that word loosely).