Last week, I spent several hours on my cellphone doing interviews. That’s not unusual, except this week, the subject of my Well column is whether regular cellphone use is risky to the brain.
Noah Benezra, 18, uses a cellphone across the street from the NYC Lab School. (John Marshall Mantel for The New York Times)I’m rethinking how I use my cellphone after hearing three brain surgeons make the point that they use ear pieces, speaker phones or headsets when talking on the phone, and they don’t put cellphones next to their ears.
The data on cellphone use and health is mixed. The Food and Drug Administration says there is no evidence of health problems associated with cellphone use, but the F.D.A. adds that there also is no proof “that wireless phones are absolutely safe.” More recent studies suggest an increased risk for head tumors after 10 or more years of heavy cellphone use. To read more about the data on cellphones and health, read the full Well column.
What do you think? Do you think the fears about cellphones are overblown? Or is it time to start talking on a headset? Post your comments below.
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The correct reaction to this non-item is “Who cares?” Doctors are human. They don’t always make rational decisions just because they’re doctors - and for that matter, how much does a surgeon necessarily understand about electromagnetic radiation?
— JDWhy wait until we have proof? It doesn’t hurt to use an ear piece, and it leaves your hands free, which is nice in any case. I’d rather err on the side of caution until we have quantitative proof than inadvertantly be part of a giant 20 year study that ends up indicating cell phone use does cause problems.
— celiaI am a neurosurgical ICU nurse on the west coast, in a level 1 trauma center hospital. None of the neurosurgeons I work with are in favor of heavy cell phone usage and are highly suspicious of any source of radiation, even non-ionizing, being held close to neural tissue. Most of them use headphones or earbuds on the occasions when cell phone use is unavoidable. I asked one a few minutes ago about studies, and he says that although long term human trials are still lacking, he has seen plenty of adverse results from the exposure of animal neural tissue to microwave radiation in the lab over the years so the thought of knowingly exposing himself to any such source “makes about as much sense as smoking” he said.
I myself use my cell infrequently but I think I will get a headphone anyway. Much as I admire the phycisians I work with I have no desire to ever need to avail myself of their skills. And they have a remarkable way of being right.
— neuronA question: is using a cordless phone equivalent to using a cellphone with regard to brain tumor risk?
— Anastasia PagnoniIf they were as bad for the brain as some people assume, there should have been an increased incidence of brain cancers that corresponded with the increased use of cell phones. This, however, is not the case. According to data published by the National Cancer Institute, incidence has remained relatively constant (at least as of 2004). Given the rate of cell phone use today, we should have seen a pretty dramatic spike. Even if some of these cancers have long latency periods, cell phones have been used for the past decade or more, and even so the incidence has remained constant. So I’m not sure a real threat exists, as far as brain cancers are concerned.
I should probably add that I’m not a brain surgeon (though I’m an aspiring one), so you can take my opinion for what it’s worth.
— SarojSome years ago a test by a British consumer organization showed that some earphones actually increased the radiation exposure because the wire conducted radiation to the ear. Their report said the findings required further study, but I never heard anything more on the subject. Nevertheless I never used an earpiece for that reason.
— LarryIt would be very cocky of someone to not take into consideration the example of brain surgeons. I think there is definitely a risk. I do not use my cell phone much for talking, but (!) i sleep with my head right next too it because i use it’s alarm. And every evening i try to put it as far away from me as possible so to still hear the alarm go off. I am going to buy a regular clock ASAP.
— ABCIts the heat.
— Lewis B. SckolnickI had a friend whose husband flew Air Force One during the first Bush presidency–he flew the Quayles around a lot– and at that time, those pilots were testing a lot of the newer wireless/ cellular communications equipment, which was considered cutting edge at the time. He died 7 years ago of a massively aggressive brain tumor that could not be subdued, despite three surgeries. (Imagine having brain surgery three times…) So that would pretty much fit in with the 10 years heavy usage studies you cited above.
I use a cell phone minimally– it’s a great tool when needed, but I keep most calls short and sweet. I do have concerns about long-term health effects, and I just hear better on land lines.
So the question I have, and it may be an ignorant one, is, what is the advantage of using a headset or an earpiece? You may protect your brain but you still have the ‘receiver’ somewhere on your body, correct?
— francoisThe Larry King show had the other day a seminar
on this very question of possible toxic radiation
from cell phones ,The lawyer Johnny Cochran’s family
appeared on that show along with Mr.Cochran’s Neuro-surgeon.My take on that show was that it is
better to be cautious and think that cell phones
may radiate us if you will.to death.
An Austalian Doctor who was also on that show who
felt that cellphones were not safe was given almost
no attention to state his case from the American
Doctor’s.
FROM TPP — Yes, the Larry King show you mention is the topic of the Well column this week. A link to that column is included in this post.
— Mr.radiotubeWell, I think it’s just good practice to use a headset, wired or wireless.
Having said that, the Larry King CNN show where three neurosurgeons pointed out the possible risk, I would just say they are surgeons! Surgeons just operate. They aren’t neurologists. If you know medicine, you’ll know there is a distinction between surgeons and non-surgeons. If you need brain surgery, by all means, see the surgeon, but if you need to discuss the risk factors of cellphone use, you need to talk to a neurologist or an oncologist. They are the ones going over the research and medical literature.
I come from a family of doctors. I even have a brother who is a cardiac surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, but if I have a heart problem that needs diagnosis, I’d see my dad, first, who is a cardiologist, not my brother the surgeon. If Larry King had put on three neurologists or oncologists on his show to discuss the risks of cellphone use, that would have been far more compelling.
— KenCeither way we should take the precautions of using mobile phone. im not that heavy user but ill use headset from now on.
— lilmissloneI have paid attention to what the FDA and Brain Surgeons who have spent most of their young life studying and learning the brain functions. I use the speakers and try to avoid harm. I always think of the old saying “WHERE THERE IS SMOKE THERE IS FIRE”
— Edwin ChavezE Chavez
give me a break, why are you asking non-medical people what hey think about an issue like this? this is absurd. it just feeds into the hype and hysteria that seems to be the order of the day.
— charlie hartness1) I am not a dr. but I do have a brain. Having read these studies I remain highly skeptical that there are measurable risks. These tumours are all exceedingly rare — one additional chance occurence in a small city could easily skew data.
To be convinced, I need to see evidence the radiation presents greater cumulative exposure(hence risk) then that absorbed standing near a large color TV or computer monitor; flying 7 miles above the earth’s surface; prolonged sun exposure.
2)Why is the heat generated considered evidence of potential harm. Many devices generate heat but present little radiation danger –how about a flashlight?
— JayWhat harm can it do to start using a headset? If we can avoid a small amount of minor risk with only minimal inconvenience, then why not. But what does this mean for those of us who tuck the phone into a pocket? Is the brain the only vulnerable body part or should I start worrying about the part directly under my hip pocket?
— SunnyI am beginning to wonder if there is a correlation between brain cancer and cell phone usage since a very young family member of mine who has used a cell phone for about 10 years was diagnosed with a brain tumor on the same side as where the cell phone was held. There needs to be more research into this issue and more protections have to be offered such as shields for the phone as well as improved technology (e.g., better speaker phones and headsets).
— Dara HaasI think if people are concerned about their health and cell phone use they should stop talking on the phone while driving. No ambiguity about that risk.
FROM TPP — Excellent point.
— Liz H.I think that this subject will be more and more important. How do you think about that the ear pieces and headsets will accumulate an electromagnetic wave?
— ChulW.ParkYes, this is so super creepy! I always got weirded out by the heat of the phone, and the way my head felt after a long call. Another thing that concerns me is all the teenagers and young kids who walk around almost 24/7 with their cell phones((always on)) tucked in their pockets, nestled so close to their bodies. Can’t be good. I dropped my cell phone in a lake (by accident) last summer — my life has vastly improved — I highly recommend it — minus the lake part! By the way, I did jump in, dive to the bottom, and retrieve it — can’t be good for the fish, either! cheers to all. Thanks TPP. Always interesting.
— JadenYou write up above that the surgeon use “ear pieces, speaker phones and headsets.” I was relieved because I use a blue tooth.
Then I read the article you link to which says:
“…some critics have raised worries about wireless devices like the Bluetooth that essentially place a transmitter in the ear.”
Which suggests that Bluetooth is worse than a phone by your ear? Is this true? Your article is unclear…but it seems by saying headphones are safe..people, like myself, put bluetooth in that category. But this is wrong?
How safe is Bluetooth?
— ginaFROM TPP — The answer is nobody knows. The Bluetooth is likely safer because it puts out less energy, but it’s directly in the ear. If and when there is research on the issue I will certainly write about it. But the real critics of cell phone use discourage BlueTooth as well.
Tara, it’s an important topic and one very appropriate for a research article.
But it’s totally inappropriate to be asking readers whether, essentially, they think cellphones are a cancer risk. This is a matter of science. It is not a matter of opinion. Science is not opinion! You would not ask a set of general readers to make scientific judgments about the nature of dark matter or how human evolution has occurred. That is what physicists do and what biological anthropologists do. That scientifically uneducated people, who don’t understand statistics (though most educated people and most scientists don’t either), venture opinions they think are valuable on these questions is ludicrous and is a holdover from an age when theology and natural science were the same thing.
Maybe you didn’t really mean what you said, to ask whether fears are overblown. Maybe I am overreacting to all the people I hear venturing opinions when they have no idea how to evaluate the evidence and no critical thinking skills. Perhaps you simply meant, are you ready to start being more cautious and learn to use the headset?
Yes, I am. Because 1) there is some data to consider and 2) I live in California, where in less than a month I will get a traffic ticket if I talk on my cell while driving. That is a powerful incentive in itself.
— appleI tend to keep my cellphone on speaker fairly often. Each day we are warned about more and more risks.
“Motor vehicles accidents account for more deaths than all natural disasters combined. In fact in the United States your chances of being injured in an motor vehicle accident is better than one in a thousand, in any one year.”
Safe, not safe…….what is?
— Mark SalinasI have a basic, inexpensive (Motorola) cellphone. I’m afraid to use it. The industry claims that no empirical evidence exists implicating electro-magnetic radiation emanating from cellphones in intracranial etiology. I don’t believe them. I have no proof to the contrary, but I have no confidence in their integrity.
Is this paranoia? Partly. But I think Big Tobacco’s unscrupulous defense of smoking is a better indicator of an underlying reality: “it’s business, not personal”, just like the gangsters said in “The Godfather”. If problems do exist, it’s not in their economic interest to be candid.
Remember Johnnie Cochrane (OJ’s lawyer)? He seemed to have a cellphone attached to his head most of the time; dead of a brain tumor at 67. Ted Kennedy probably used his cellphone a hundred times a day, each-and-every day for two decades.
Cellphones might well not be involved in any underlying disease process. But I’m not taking any chances. I use mine as little as possible. I have an earpiece for it, but it doesn’t work well. I’m looking for other options, although there don’t seem to be any (other than discarding the damn thing).
— Steve SingerThe fears about cellphones are underblown. Organizations such as the FDA, the Cancer Society and even the government want to keep the cell phone industry (and it’s money) on side.
— JackCheck the BioInitiative Report to see what independent science is saying about these pulsed microwaves.
Just as worrisome is that it appears that cell phones may be addictive. That they alter our brain functioning is undisputed, more recent research suggest addiction may be a consequence.
Biological impact on cells is proven but ignored/suppressed by mainstream media & telcos alike. For those of you out there with young children, if you wish them to outlive you, don’t let them use cell or cordless phones!