There is a popular myth that cell phones cause of cancer. There is no credible study available that consistently proves that using a cell phone has the ability to cause cancer.
When a man appeared on a national talk show in 1993 and claimed his wife had developed brain cancer from using a cell phone, the public reacted with fear. While extreme exposure to radio-frequency radiation can have serious health effects, there is no evidence that the low levels of radio-frequency radiation emitted by hand-held cellular phones cause cancer, according to a review of studies by a Medical College of Wisconsin researcher.
Although research has not consistently demonstrated a link between cellular telephone use and cancer, scientists still caution that more research needs to be done before conclusions can be drawn about the risk of cancer from cellular telephones and conflicting findings have come up as a result of various studies.
Dr. Sadetzki, a physician, epidemiologist and lecturer at Tel Aviv University, published the results of a recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, where she together with her colleagues concluded from findings that heavy cell phone users were subject to a higher risk of benign and malignant tumors of the salivary gland. In her study, the people who used a cell phone heavily on the side of the head where the tumor developed were found to have an increased risk by about 50% of developing a tumor of the main salivary gland (parotid), compared to those who did not use cell phones. On the other hand, John E. Moulder, PhD, a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin said: "The epidemiological evidence for an association between radio-frequency radiation and cancer is weak and inconsistent, the laboratory studies generally do not suggest that cell phone radiation has genotoxic or epigenetic activity, and the connection between a cell phone's radio-frequency radiation and cancer appears to be physically implausible."
Considerable research has also found no clear association between any other electronic consumer products and cancer. Cell phones, microwave ovens and related appliances emit low-frequency radiation—the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that includes radio waves and radar. Ionizing radiation such as gamma rays and X-rays can increase cancer risk by causing changes to DNA in cells of the body. Low frequency, non-ionizing radiation does not cause these DNA changes.
Dr. Sadetzki advises by saying “While I think this technology is here to stay, I believe precautions should be taken in order to diminish the exposure and lower the risk for health hazards.” She recommends that people use hands-free devices at all times, and when talking, hold the phone away from one’s body. Less frequent calls, shorter in duration, should also have some preventative effect.
A wise man once said, where there is smoke, there could be fire.