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I never realized that babbling on my cell phone for hours would wind up increasing my chances for getting a brain tumor, much less the possibility of my potential children. As if I need something else to worry about. It is estimated that more than 90% of the Western World uses cell phones so what are we to do? Am I slowly killing myself in an effort to stay connected? Are you?

One researcher by the name of Vini G. Khurana certainly thinks so and is using his latest research as compelling evidence to prove it. According to his most recent study Mobile Phones and Brain Tumors - A Public Health Concern, he warns us that the use of cell phones is worse than smoking:  It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking, and directly concerns all of us, particularly the younger generation, including very young children. 

If that isn't scary enough, he predicts that the associated medical effects to cell phone use will become more apparent between now and 2012. Consequently, my mom is good friends with some doctors who have said they are already noticing this with an increase in patients with brain tumors.

Did I mention that he is a staff specialist at the well known Canberra Hospital and an associate professor of neurosurgery with the Australian National University Medical School? He had better hang low for a while because I would be almost certain that Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and more are going to a hit out on this poor fellow.

Here is a summary of the research paper:
 

• Mobile phones are convenient and frequently invaluable, yet exposure to their electromagnetic radiation is invisible. Therefore, any danger this exposure poses may be easily dismissed. 

• Exposure is long-term and its effects on the body, particularly its electrical organ, the brain, are compounded by numerous other simultaneous long-term exposures including continuous waves from radio and TV transmitter towers, cordless phone base stations, power lines, and wireless/WiFi computing devices. 

• A malignant brain tumor represents a life-ending diagnosis in the vast majority of those diagnosed. There is a significant and increasing body of evidence, to date at least 8 comprehensive clinical studies internationally and one long-term meta-analysis, for a link between mobile phone usage and certain brain tumors. 

• Taken together, the data presented below compellingly suggest that the link between mobile phones and brain tumors should no longer be regarded as a myth. Individual and class action lawsuits have been filed in the USA, and at least one has already been successfully prosecuted, regarding the cell phone-brain tumor link. 

• The "incubation time" or "latency" (i.e., the time from commencement of regular mobile phone usage to the diagnosis of a malignant solid brain tumor in a susceptible individual) may be in the order of 10-20 years. In the years 2008-2012, we will have reached the appropriate length of follow-up time to begin to definitively observe the impact of this global technology on brain tumor incidence rates. 

• There is currently enough evidence and technology available to warrant Industry and Governments alike in taking immediate steps to reduce exposure of consumers to mobile phone-related electromagnetic radiation and to make consumers clearly aware of potential dangers and how to use this technology sensibly and safely. 

• It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking, and directly concerns all of us, particularly the younger generation, including very young children. 

• Scientists and physicians from some academic centres worldwide came together in mid-2007 to propose safer standards regarding public exposure to electromagnetic fields (Click the link for details). 

Earlier this winter, a similar study was released on February 15th by An Israeli scientist, Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, who also found a link between cell phone usage and the development of tumors in a group considered to be early adopters of the cell phone and rather heavy users, the Israeli population.

Dr. Sadetzki is a physician, a epidemiologist and a lecturer at Tel Aviv University. Her research, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, discovered that heavy cell phone users were subject to benign and malignant tumors of the salivary gland.

"Those who used cell phone heavily on the side of the head where the tumor developed were found to have an increased risk of about 50% for developing a tumor on the main salivary gland, compared to those who did not use cell phones." More than 500 people diagnosed with benign and malignant tumors on their salivary glands were researched.

Her suggestions to take precautions are to limit your cell phone use, use hands-free devices, if you must use the cell phone hold it away from your body, and lastly, less frequent, shortened conversations. As far as children are concerned, really take into consideration their age and talk to them about how they are using their cell phones. Text messaging may not be so bad after all!

Links:

Tel Aviv University (2008, February 15). Heavy Cell Phone Use Linked To Cancer, Study Suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 1, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/02/080214144349.htm