Chelsea Parris
Dec. 3 2009
2:12am
This article discusses how a large new study is the latest to find no link between rising cell phone use and rates of brain cancer. Researchers in four Scandinavian countries found no increase in brain tumor diagnoses from 1998 to 2003, when cell phone use in those countries grew sharply. That's consistent with most other studies, including a U.S. study that examined brain tumor rates from 1987 to 2005. Some people have worried about cell phones because they emit radio waves, a form of non-ionizing, low frequency radiation. This kind of radiation is too weak to damage DNA, however, and scientists know of no biological processes by which radio waves might cause brain cancer. Other types of radiation, such as that produced by an atomic bomb, are known to cause cancer. Researchers in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, who looked at rates of brain tumors called gliomas and meningiomas dating to 1973, acknowledge their study has limitations. It's possible that their study population of 16 million adults was too small to detect a very slight increased risk, especially if brain tumors are developing in particular subgroups, according to the study.
I thought this article was very interesting, and possibly great news. Cell phone use has increased tremendously recently, and if it were true that cell phone usage is linked to brain tumors, then I feel a lot of people would be in danger of having a brain tumor. Though the studies are still working this out, I am hopeful. However for people who remain concerned about cell phones they can almost completely eliminate their exposure to these radio waves by using headphones, speakerphones or Bluetooth headsets. We should be precautionary, especially in children, because their brains are still developing.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/phones/2009-12-03-cell-phones_N.htm
4 comments:
This is really good news for me also because I am always talking on the phone!
I always thought that cell phones causing brain cancer was a bit of a stretch. The idea may sound good but I do believe the radiation is too weak (as stated) to damage DNA. I think even if this was true, I doubt people would still lessen their cell phone use.
This makes me wonder if other things that we are told (like don't stand in front of the microwave) are really true or not
Haha this is a good post, I'm glad to know my head isn't being toasted while I am on my phone
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