A new study conducted in Sweden finally takes a look at the potential for cell phones to develop brain tumors. Oncologist Dr. Lennart Hardell of the University Hospital in Oregro, Sweden, and lead researcher, said “The risk is three times higher after 25 years of use. We can see this clearly.”
In the study, the researchers looked nearly 1,400 people diagnosed with malignant brain tumors and compared their cell phone use over about a year with people who had not developed a brain tumor. The results suggests that those talked more than 1,486 hours in that time were twice as likely to develop glioma compared with those who talked on a phone for less than 122 hours.
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Neurosurgeon Dr. Gabriel Zada, recently told Reuters, “A lot of people ask me, ‘Why did I get this brain tumor?’ There are a lot of different theories; it’s a much more convoluted picture than just saying ‘cell phones caused this.’” Not part of the study, Zada attests that more information is necessary if scientists are going to establish a definite link between cancer and cell phone use. He continues “It is more evidence suggesting a possible association between brain tumors and cell phones. But it’s certainly not convincing that cell phones cause brain cancer.”
Now, cell phones do emit radiofrequency energy; energy which is absorbed by tissues near the spot where a person might hold their phone when using it, as explained by the National Cancer Institute Website. They also maintain, however, that there has not been a single study that does establish the link between them.
The website agrees with this: “Studies thus far have not shown a consistent link between cell phone use and cancers of the brain, nerves, or other tissues of the head or neck. More research is needed because cell phone technology and how people use cell phones have been changing rapidly.”
