Cellphones Are Potentially Cancer Causing

Cellphones Are Potentially Cancer Causing pexels.com In the past, such studies have been largely ignored, especially since we are so attached to our cellphones as a society. However, these results are by far the most alarming, and researchers are taking them very seriously. So how important is this information exactly? NBC News asked some important questions and below are the answers that you’re going to need when it comes to your safety. 1. “Do I need to throw away my cellphone?” In short: no. The associate director of the National Toxicology program, John Bucher, hasn’t changed his cellphone habits, although he’s also not a heavy user either. In fact, he is only on his phone for about one hour a day or less. According to him, “I don’t use a cellphone very often. People don’t seem to call me much. I use a cellphone next to my head or with earbuds, depending on what I am doing.” So the important thing to think about here is that cellphones don’t need to be thrown out completely, but the amount of time you spend on your phone might also need to change. For some, it might need to change drastically. In the study, the test rats were given high levels of cellphone signal, largely an amount that was above the legal limit set by the Federal Communications Commission for cellphones. These rats were also exposed for about nine hours every day, from before their birth until their death at about two years of age. According to Bucher, “All these animals were exposed at levels that were heavy.” Apparently, this is a standard in rat trials so that some sort of effect is displayed. So this would also mean that it’s extremely hard to tell what the effect on human beings is going to be. And to look at the records of brain cancer and other such cancers, it’s important to understand that these rates have not shot up, as would be expected if cancer really is linked to cellphone usage. According to Bucher, “We are aware of the fact that there certainly has not been an increase in brain cancer rates in the United States.” However, it’s also important to note that people live decades longer than rats do, and that such cancers can take more than that to develop as well. A majority of studies done haven’t shown evidence linking cellphone signals to cancer. However, this one did, and that’s why it’s going to be fairly prevalent in the news. But while one study doesn’t necessarily give conclusive evidence, it will result in several studies that take this evidence and test it further. So while this is a good start, we’re not going to have a definite answer until well into numerous future studies. According to NBC news, “It’s the body of evidence collected over years by different groups taking different approaches that yields a good answer.” 2. “Can I keep my cellphone in my pocket?”   According to Bucher, “Many people hold cellphones at various places around the body. Women [have] been known to place the cellphones in their bras.” But in this study, the rats were purposely exposed to cellphone radiation over their entire bodies. That way, the effects were seen over their entire bodies rather than specific locations. And the results still showed tumors in only two places: in the brain and around the heart. As far as why this is the case, it’s still unclear. According to Bucher, “We have no real sense whether other organs are more sensitive or less sensitive to radiofrequency radiation.” But to give the same answer as was given to the last question, the best way to avoid potential problems, at least for the time being, is to reduce your exposure to your cellphone. This means limiting the time you spend on the phone, using earphones or Bluetooth devices so that you aren’t directly in contact with your phone and ignoring the kits that are sold to protect your body from radiation, as they “generally do not work as advertised,” according to the FDA. 3. “Are we going to see higher rates of cancer in the future?” Basically: we don’t know. Because there isn’t an actual, visible change in the cancer rates as compared to cellphone use, it’s hard to say. However, it also takes years for cancer to develop. So these results could be there, just not visible until several years from now. Also, with results from past rat studies to lean on, it’s apparent that cancer links that were there in rats aren’t ever there in people. Plus, there isn’t actually a known mechanism for cellphone radiation to result in cancer this would have to be done by something that no one knows about yet. 4. “When will we know more?” As stated before, these results have been rushed out to the public, so the study actually isn’t done yet. In fact, it won’t be done until 2017. According to Bucher, “They have over 7,000 studies in these animals. These were enormously time consuming and expensive studies.” So it’s largely unlikely that this study will be repeated again, at least not at this scale. Currently, there is a study going on in Europe that looks at 290,000 cellphone users that began in 2010 and will be followed for about 30 years to see if the users develop cancer at different rates. So again, long story short: it will be a while before we have any more information. So in the meantime, know the potential dangers and plan accordingly. Put down the cellphone when you can, but don’t take it too seriously yet, either.