Evidence still fuzzy on cell phones, cancer

[TomCADem]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- In the year since a U.S. cancer researcher's warning drew wide attention, more evidence is emerging that long-term cell phone use is associated with cancer, but there's still not a definitive explanation or proof of cause and effect.

Last summer, Dr. Ronald Herberman, then director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, issued a warning to about 3,000 faculty and staff, listing steps to avoid harmful electromagnetic radiation from cell phones. This included keeping the phone away from the body as much as possible and not allowing children to use cell phones except in emergencies.

"Since I put out that precautionary advisory in July of last year, I believe there is more indication for concern, particularly among children," he recently said.

* * *
A telling feature of the findings in the stronger studies was that the side of the head against which people held their cell phones was highly correlated with the location of tumors, said Joel Moskowitz, director of the Center for Family and Community Health at the University of California, Berkeley.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/10/cell.phones.cancer.tumors/

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I wonder whether the risk is mitigated by using either Blue Tooth headset or a hard wire ear piece.

[cbdo2007]

1. That depends...where do you put your actual phone when you're using the headset?

You definitely don't want to put it on your lap or you could get cancer in those areas as well.

Or on your hip as it could weaken your bone density:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/10/cell-phones-bone-density.html

[The River]

2. I Have All The Evidence

I need. 4 years ago my company gave me a cell phone
for business calls. Within 1 year I had bladder cancer.
2 years later I get a B lymphoma in my upper leg. Both tumors are within
a few inches of where my cell phone hung from my belt.
Now I carry it at arms length, in the passenger seat or
in a different room at home.

[RedCloud]

3. I notice folks that are addicted to them are remembering less and less.

Could be they don't sleep enough due to too much cell phone usage and the urge to blab non stop.

Chalk me down for one who believes microwaves can do more than just cook your meal and why grass grows like crazy under power lines.

[Yavapai]

4. Do police get more cancer?

I notice that most policemen now use Handy-talkies (portables) that have microphones with antennas
on them (radiating radio frequency power right next to their heads.)

Most portable radios utilize 5 watts of power. Cellular phones are limited to under 200 mw. So a
police radio uses about 25 times more power than the cellular telephone.

Since most officers work an 8 hour shift, that would be about 2000 hours per year. If RF causes
cancer, how would any be able to reach retirement age?

I spent most of my youth around high power radio frequency equipment and worked on Erikson EDACS
800mhz radio for the 20 years before my retirement. In the room next to my office and work area
there were 10 100 watt transmitters emitting RF constantly. In the same room was 4 microwave
transmitters operating 24/7. I worked on those also. Now I wouldn't dream of looking down a
waveguide, working on this equipment, was without fear.

I cannot believe there is any validity to the cellular phone / cancer theory.

If radio waves fried my brain, I would now be a republican....

[boppers]

10. It's a matter of statistics.

RF causes deadly cancer..... sometimes. More often than not, it'll kill off a cell or two, and nobody cares, because cells are constantly dying and being replaced. Police actually *do* have a higher rate of groin cancers, the current suspect for that is radar guns, but it could also be communications devices.

[Robb]

5. No news?

Back when I was in the news biz, a boss once told me a headline rule about using the words "still" and "remains."

Don't do it, he said, unless "...the still exploded, killing 5, or the remains were found in the trunk." ;)

[Froward69]

6. soalace is my friend

I quit. I never answered it on the Harley, driving, working, showering, having sex, etc.

And if I did answer it was usually someone complaining that I am late.
so I gave em UP.

I dig my land line. it helps to order pizza and Chinese food and is easily turned off.

This news is slow to take hold here. Didn't the Australian SG say there WAS a definite connection to cell phones and brain tumors?

[Froward69]

7. dupe

..

[Teramis]

8. They better hurry and come up with an accurate study

Cancer is no child's play.

[SoCalDem]

9. Phone company-supported "studies", and government tests

would never mislead us, now would they?:(

There used to be picnic-lunch tours to Nuclear bomb blasts.. it was all perfectly safe:)

[customerserviceguy]

11. I switched to a hard-wired earpiece

about a month ago, but the primary motivating factor was increased enforcement by NY cops who see a ripe way to make ticket money from handheld drivers.

[PSPS]

12. Fuzzy? I remember reading about the connection twenty years ago.

[TomCADem]

13. 20 Years Ago? Did You Have One Of Those Brick Cell Phones?

I don't even remember seeing anyone with one of those brick style cell phones in 1989. Also, carrying one of these bad boys was a luxury:

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