UPMC memo: Cell phones pose cancer threat
A UPMC cancer expert warned today that says excessive cell phone use could lead to an increased risk of brain cancer.
Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and UPMC Cancer Centers, issued an internal advisory to about 3,000 faculty and staff members warning of the possible health risks posed by cellular phones.
Industry experts contend that cell phones are safe.
Herberman said exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by cellular phones could be dangerous to users, especially children. Wireless devices emit low levels of radio frequency energy while turned on. Cordless phones, radios, microwaves and televisions also use radio frequency energy.
"These waves have been shown to have the ability to penetrate into the brain," said Herberman, who based his advisory on international studies from countries such as France, Germany and India. "This provides a plausible basis for concern that it might be contributing to an increased incidence in brain tumors."
Herberman said some ways to limit exposure are to use the speakerphone, limit the time talking on the phone and, when possible, use text messaging instead of talking.
Scientists and the federal government have been studying the effects of radiation for years and have established guidelines with the FCC to limit the amount of exposure. But evidence of harm hasn't been proven, said Joe Fallon, a spokesman for CTIA-The Wireless Association, a nonprofit trade organization for cell phones and service providers.
"When you look at the overwhelming majority of studies that have been peer-reviewed and published in leading scientific journals around the world, you'll see there is no association between adverse health effects and wireless-phone usage," Fallon said.
"We believe this issue has to be guided by science," he said. "If you get away from the science, you potentially begin misleading users."
Dan Catena, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, wants more research to be done.
"At this point, there's no conclusive information," he said. "When more studies are conducted in the United States, I think the results will be more conclusive one way or the other."
Joshua Muscat, a professor of public health sciences at Penn State University in Hershey, conducted two studies -- one in 2000 and another in 2006 -- that found no increased risk of brain tumors associated with cell phone use.
"A dozen or more studies since 2000 have looked at neural tumors, and the bulk of the studies show that cell phones are safe," he said.
Muscat said a few studies have indicated a risk with use over 10 years or more, but more studies are needed to reach a definitive conclusion.
"Everybody uses them, so if there was some real heath use associated with their use, you would expect to see increased rate of brain tumors," Muscat said.
Earlier this week, Toronto Public Health released a report recommending children reduce cell phone use to avoid exposure to radio frequencies, which Toronto officials said might prove to be a health risk.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is working with the U.S. National Toxicology Program and with investigators around the world to ensure that animal studies are conducted to address questions about the effects of exposure to such radiation, said Karen Riley, a spokeswoman for the FDA's Center for Devices & Radiological Health.
Herberman said studies that show no increased risk were done years ago, before people used their cell phones every day. He said he thought it was prudent to issue the advisory and be ahead of a possible national warning.
"We shouldn't wait until definitive information comes out," he said. "By then, we might have a virtual epidemic on our hands." Additional Information:
Is your phone safe?
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted limits for safe exposure to radio-frequency energy, which is measured by the amount of radio-frequency energy absorbed by the body when using a cell phone.
The FCC requires cell phone manufacturers to ensure their phones comply with limits for safe exposure. Cell phones sold legally in the United States are 'safe,' according to the FCC.Go online to find how much radio-frequency energy your phone emits.
Source: FCC Additional Information:
Phone emissions
Specific absorption rate, or SAR, is a way of measuring the quantity of radio-frequency energy absorbed by the body, according to CTIA-The Wireless Association, a nonprofit trade organization for cell phone and service providers.
For a phone to pass FCC certification, its maximum SAR level must be 1.6 watts per kilogram or less.
Phones with the highest SAR level
1. Motorola V195s - 1.6
2. Motorola W385 - 1.54
3. RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 - 1.54
4. Motorola Deluxe ic902 - 1.53
5. T-Mobile Shadow (HTC) - 1.53
Phones with the lowest SAR level
1. Motorola Razr V3x - 0.14
2. Samsung SGH-G800 - 0.23
3. Samsung Soul - 0.24
4. Nokia 7390 - 0.26
5. Motorola Razr2 V8 - 0.36
Source: www.CNET.com
