Cell Phones & Cancer
As many of us have often wondered, what kind of long term affects could come with cell phone usage. As we become more and more reliant on these devices we should also be aware of any side effects they may cause. I am often quick to think the news media sensationalizes this kind of information but there are some good things you can do to potentially protect yourself from any of the microwave radiation coming from your cell phone device. We often learn years later the things we have been doing are having negative effects on us and read more about what the WHO and some physicians are saying.
As I continued to read more about the recent press release by the WHO, I have noted several others pointing out just how impacting these statements really should be. The bottom line to note is that it is possible and thats the key word “possible”. As Phil Plait points out in his recent post, “Why I’m (still) not worried about my cell phone hurting my brain”, there just is nothing which shows cell phones are cancerous. The WHO categorized cell phones into the Group 2B category, meaning they are “possibly” carcinogenic. Ed Yong’s take on the WHO’s verdict should be given some thought as well and he uses some nice data to support his perspective.
The obvious response to the WHO press release shouldn’t be one of panic or worry, the bottom line is we really don’t know yet. Most studies out just don’t have enough data to draw any definite conclusions. As you would expect there are plenty of people concerned with this potential issue that given some time, there will be a outpouring of information when conclusive results are discovered.
