Studies Examine Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Cancer

Numerous studies have examined the possible link between cell phones and brain cancer. While health officials will tell you there is nothing to worry about, and cases of brain cancer have not yet skyrocketed compared to previous years, it’s worth examining based on logic and an unknown, long-term future.

Cell phones use non-ionizing radiation, which is very different from the ionizing radiation of X-rays, which everyone agrees are harmful. Non-ionizing radiation won’t strip electrons or bust up DNA. It’s more like very low power microwaves.

Short term, these microwaves are likely harmless, but long term could be a different story.

The idea of radiation negatively impacting the brain is especially concerning when talking about kids, who not only have developing brains, but also have skinner skulls to permeate through.

Did you know that in 2011, the World Health Organization listed cell phone use in the same “carcinogenic hazard” category as lead, gasoline exhaust, and chloroform?

290% Increased Risk of Brain Tumor After 10 Years of Cellphone Use

In a study conducted at the Örebro Hospita in Sweden in 2012, it was revealed that 10 years of cellphone resulted in an average 290% increased risk of brain tumor development. The tumor development was found on the side of the head in which the cellphone was most used.

“In conclusion use of mobile and cordless phone increased the risk for glioma with highest OR for ipsilateral use, latency >10 years and third tertile of cumulative use in hours. In total, the risk was highest in the age group <20 years for first use of a wireless phone.”

Italian Court Rules Man’s Brain Tumor was Caused by Cell Phone Use

In 2012, Italy’s supreme court ruled in favor of a man named Innocente Marcolini who claimed his brain tumor was caused by his heavy mobile phone usage. As much of the scientific community refutes the link between cell phone’s radiation and cancer, it was met with backlash – especially since the court was potentially setting a legal precedent based on inconclusive data.

Others say the electromagnetic radiation damages cells to the point where tumors can become much more likely. DNA damage can also occur, similar to how laptop Wi-Fi has been found to damage both DNA and fertility in as little as 4 hours of direct use.

Three 2013 Studies Examine Link Between Cell Phones and Brain Cancer

Two studies from 2013 indicated there was no link between cell-phone use and brain cancer risk, but these studies need a closer look. Upon closer inspection, there seems to be a link between long-term cell phone use and brain tumors—these findings were simply considered “not significant” enough for the researchers to promote.

The first study followed nearly 800,000 middle-aged women for seven years. In that time, there were 51,680 invasive cancers and 1,261 cancers of the central nervous system. But when analyzing the data and looking at the women who reported using cell phones for over ten years, a 10% increase in meningioma risk was discovered. Also, the long-term use of cell phones was associated with an increased risk of acoustic neuroma. Both of these risks increased as cell phone use increased, meaning it was dose-dependent, validating causation.

In the second study, a small increased risk of meningioma was discovered with long term cell phone use. Again, the small increased risk was apparently not enough to alarm researchers. Still, the study looked at 709 meningioma patients and analyzed their cell phone use, finding an increased risk of 30% among those who used cell phones over a 25-year period.

70-300% Increased Brain Cancer Risk

Continuing and updating the research, Dr. Lennart Hardell and his colleagues in Sweden published the 3rd in a series of papers on the use of wireless phones.

Overall, the updated research found that:

• People who used wireless phones for more than a year were at 70% greater risk of brain cancer as compared to those who used wireless phones for a year or less.
• Those who used wireless phones for more than 25 years were at greatest risk—300% greater risk of brain cancer than those who used wireless phones for a year or less.
• About 25% of people used wireless phones for about 40 minutes a day over 10 years, resulting in a 250% greater risk of brain tumors when compared to those who used wireless phones for less than 39 hours in their lifetime.

Parents in Australia Urged to Limit Children’s Use of Mobiles

Developing children are more affected by cell phone radiation, with behavioral disorders known to develop from cellphone use at an early age. It is also known that cellphone radiation is actually changing the brain in ways that are not currently understood.

In early 2013, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) distributed a fact sheet to all families purchasing cell phones, warning against the dangers of radiation and a phone’s potential link to brain tumors.

They urged parents to limit cell phone use by children and teens, telling them to keep the phone away from their head while in use.

The agency said:

“Due to the lack of scientific evidence on mobile and cordless phone use by children, ARPANSA recommends that parents encourage their children to limit their exposure. One way to exercise caution is to reduce unnecessary exposure from your handset and to encourage your children to do this. Remember, it doesn’t have to be done for every phone call and in an emergency there are better things to worry about.”

While admitting that the health risks were low, Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton said:

“With children’s growing brains, you do want to reduce exposure. Even putting your thumb between your ear and the phone can reduce radiation.”

In other words, the large-scale global use of cell phones is essentially a massive biological experiment. Maybe young children shouldn’t use cell phones?

2014 British Researchers Investigate Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumor Link

A 2014 study published in the journal of British Occupational and Environmental Medicine sought to analyze the association between mobile phone exposure and primary central nervous system tumors (gliomas and meningiomas) in adults.

The researchers noted that the carcinogenic effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in humans was controversial, but they wanted to further examine the potential link with brain tumors.

The study abstract concluded:

“These additional data support previous findings concerning a possible association between heavy mobile phone use and brain tumours.”

shows heavy cell phone use triples the risk of developing brain tumors.

Doctor Explains Why He Wears a Wired Earpiece

In a 2011 article on CNN (no longer live on the CNN website), Dr. Sanjay Gupta explained his why he chooses to wear an earpiece – concern over cell phone radiation hitting the brain.

“Just about every time I use a cell phone, I plug in my wired earpiece first. Having discussed the use of earpieces on several news shows, people expect to see me using one. If I am walking around the CNN studios, my colleagues often comment on it. In airports, people will stop me in the rare cases I forget to use the earpiece, and remind me about it. Perhaps, they are intrigued because I am a neurosurgeon who openly shows some concern about cell phones.”

He explained that the latency period or time between exposure and recognition of a tumor is around 20 years, sometimes longer. Cell phone use in the U.S. was popular for around 15 years at the time. Back in 1996, there were 34 million cell phone users. That amount grew 9-10 times by 2011.

Gupta referenced a study that also found ‘little or no evidence to show an association between cell phones and cancer.’ But when he went to the appendix of the study, he found that the data showed people who used a cell phone for 10 years or more doubled the risk of developing a glioma, a type of brain tumor.

At the time, San Francisco was trying to pass an ordinance requiring radiation warning labels on all cell phones; the European Environmental Agency said cell phones could be as big a public health risk as smoking, asbestos and leaded gasoline; and even cell phone makers suggested you don’t place a device against your head, but rather advocate holding it 5/8 to a full inch away.

Swedish Study Large Increase in Astrocytoma

A 2011 Swedish study found large increased incidence of astrocytoma, the most common form of a malignant brain tumor type called glioma, in those who had been using mobiles for over 10 years.

Researchers from the University Hospital of Örebro and Umeå University examined the mobile and cordless phone use of more than 1,200 Swedes, who were diagnosed with malignant brain cancer between 1997 and 2003.

Fast-forwarding to the results, the team concluded that using both mobiles and cordless phones led to “an increased risk for malignant brain tumors”.

People who started using mobiles as teenagers, and have done so for at least 10 years, were 4.9 times more likely to develop astrocytoma, compared to controls.

Further, the comparable figure for cordless home phones – which are very similar to mobiles in terms of radiation emission – was almost as high, at 3.9.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, stated that radiation from handsets was “possibly carcinogenic” just weeks prior to this news. Although the organization stopped short of declaring there was a clear link.

Mega 2015 Study Finds Just 20 Minutes a Increases Risk of Cancer, Neurodegenerative Disease

Adding on to the findings presented here (and then some), American and Ukrainian scientists found that the radiation emitted from wireless devices can cause a metabolic imbalance in users, which can lead to various health risks including cancer and neurodegenerative disease, according to a new study.

Dr. Igor Yakymenko said that cell phone use for 20 minutes a day for 5 years can boost the risk of one type of brain tumor by 3 times, while using a cell phone for 1 hour a day for 4 years can increase the risk of certain tumors by 3-5 times.

He notes that it can take 30 years for these tumors to develop.

Yakymenko had this to say:

“…metabolic imbalance, or oxidative stress, is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense. These data are a clear sign of the real risks this kind of radiation poses for human health“

The research was published in Electromagnetic Biology & Medicine.

2016 Rat Study Adds Further Concern, and Experts were Surprised

In 2016, a study conducted by the U.S. National Toxicology Program sent up red flags in the minds of researchers and health experts. Rats were exposed to radiofrequency radiation that comes from cell phones for about 9 hours a day, for 7 days a week.

The researchers found that the exposed rats were more likely to develop cancers, specifically malignant gliomas – a type of brain tumor – and tumors in the hearts of male rats.

About 2% of the exposed rats – 11 out of 540 – developed malignant gliomas. About 3.5% of the exposed rats – 19 out of 540 – developed a type of tumor known as schwannoma of the heart. Schwannomas can also develop in the acoustic nerve, which affects hearing.

None of the unexposed rats in the control group developed cancer. Oddly enough, however, they lived shorter lives than the exposed rodents.

Otis Brawley, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, who was not involved in the study, said:

“The findings are unexpected; we wouldn’t reasonably expect non-ionizing radiation to cause these tumors. This is a striking example of why serious study is so important in evaluating cancer risk.”

Current cell phone safety standards focus on the heating effects from radiofrequency energy – the same type of energy that cooks food in a microwave.

Earlier studies revolved around radiofrequency energy.

Worried? Here are Some Ways to Protect Yourself

As you certainly know, the best way of protecting yourself from cellphone radiation is to simply not use it. When turning the phone off, it reduces the emission rate close to zero. This is not always an option for many, so there are a few vital methods of reducing the damage:

• Try and use the ‘speaker’ option on your cellphone when possible, holding it in your hand away from your head.
• Turn your phone off at night or when you are not using it.
• Place your phone in ‘airplane’ mode if you cannot turn it off entirely.
• Look into and heavily research radiation protection options for your phone. Be aware there are a number of fake items out there, so always look for a product brand with real research behind it.