Despite recent studies pointing the other way, a tumor of doubt still remains as to whether the use of cellular phones can cause cancer.
Two new studies, one sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the other by the American Health Foundation, last week confirmed some earlier findings that discount significant correlation between the use of cellular phones and the growth of cancer cells.
Yet, critics wonder if the findings will hold in the future after longer-term, more concentrated use is studied.
The Food and Drugs Administration and French scientists also are undertaking new research while the British government this month issued advice in widely circulated leaflets that children should not use the gadgets except in emergencies because of their delicate skulls.
In the study by the National Cancer Institute published in the The Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers, led by Dr. Peter Inskip and Dr. Martha S. Linet, held that the about 90 million cellular phone users in the United States are not in danger of developing cancer.
The researchers compared 782 patients who used cell phones and had brain tumors and other manifestations of cancer with 799 patients of the same age, sex and race who did not have brain tumors.
The AHF study followed a similar pattern comparing the cell-phone use of 469 brain cancer patients with that of 422 patients matching them in age, sex and race. The study also involved researchers from The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center and four United States medical Centers.
Both reached the same results, ruling out the possibility of getting cancer from the use of the gadgets.
“Based on the published evidence to date, I don’t think there’s any evidence that cell phones cause cancer,” Dr. Inskip said.
Dr. Joshua Muscat of The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center who led the other study, echoed the same idea.
“The recent phenomenon of widespread use of cellular phones had been a suspected risk factor for the development of brain cancer and needed to be clarified by a study,” he said. “The data showed no correlation between the use of cell phones and the development of brain cancer. In addition, there was no association between the amount of cell-phone usage and brain cancer.”
The AHF study said the usage reported for cancer patients was not statistically significant.
“Because 85 percent of people in the study reported extending the antenna during calls, we might have expected to find a disproportionate cluster of tumors behind the eye and the ear on the side the cell phone was used since radiation emission is highest at the antenna,” said Dr. Mark Malkin, a co-author of the AHF study. “We found no link between cell phone and temporal lobe tumors, nor was there any association with handedness and tumor location.”
The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association welcomed the AHF study.
“The wireless industry is dedicated to the safety of our customers and to supporting open and independent research on our products,” CTIA said in a press release.
Six of every 100,000 Americans gets a brain tumor each year.
The recent findings will not prevent further research by the FDA, which is curious about test-tube research claiming that RF-exposed human blood cells developed genetic damage called micronuclei.
