Do Cell Phones Cause Brain Cancer?
Half Life Source
Journalist: Sean Darcy
July 21, 2008
Cell phones linked to possible brain cancer was a 15-month study which suggest is more dangerous than smoking. The study was conducted by Dr. Vini Khurana who suggests that exposure to cell phones may be more dangerous than cigarettes or asbestos.
Dr. Vini Khurana, a top Australian neurosurgeon, finds evidence that using handsets for more than 10 years can double the risk of brain cancer. He says the incubation time for brain tumors may be 10-20 years, which would be when the impact of cell phone use can be definitively observed.
"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," Dr Khurana said.
Khurana is strongly urging governments to take immediate steps to reduce cell phone users from radiation exposure. France and Germany have both warned against the use of cell phones.
He said mobile phone radiation could heat the side of the head or potentially thermoelectrically interact with the brain, while Bluetooth devices and "unshielded" headsets could convert the user's head into an effective, potentially self-harming antenna.
However, Dr. Robert Ashton, a thoracic surgeon, remains skeptical and said the recent study "hasn't been accepted in a peer review journal," he said on Fox News. "There's no clear link between cell phone use and brain cancer. To compare cell phone use and tobacco, I don't think is appropriate."
Dr. Khurana, who since 1994 has received 14 awards, said the crucial time between the initial start of regular mobile phone usage to the diagnosis of a malignant solid brain tumour might be in the potential 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 tumour incidence rates," Dr Khurana said.
There have been other studies done that found no link between cell phone use and brain cancer. In 2001, the National Cancer Institute said there was no increased risk of brain tumors in cell phone users in comparison to non-users. Even so, the FDA says further investigation is warranted.