Do cellphones cause Cancer? What you need to know

Do mobile phones increase the risk of cancer? The issue cellphone could cause cancer has been mired in confusion, with some studies failing to find an increased risk of brain tumors among cell phone users, while others suggest greater risk among the most frequent of users.

According to many studies, there is a concern that cell phones might cause cancer. Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation. Exposure to these kinds of ionizing radiations for a long period of time is known to increase the risk of cancer.

Recent studies have also shown that phone addiction is slightly equivalent to drug and alcohol addiction. Whenever you receive a text message, your brain releases a hormone known as dopamine, which is the same hormone your mind releases when you take drugs, but in a slightly smaller amount.

Excessive cell phone use has many effects, more than we can bargain for. It affects social life because the more you use your cell phone, the more you distance yourself from the people around you.

In 2011, a report from World Health Organisation has revealed that using a mobile phone might increase the risk of developing certain types of brain tumours and consumers should consider ways of reducing their exposure.

It's not clear exactly how much of an elevated cancer risk cell-phone users might face, or even the biological methods by which cell-phone radiation could cause brain tumors.

A working group of 31 scientists from 14 countries meeting at the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC.L have said a review of all the available scientific evidence suggested cell phone as "possibly carcinogenic."

The classification, which puts mobile phone use in the same broad IARC cancer risk category as lead, chloroform, and coffee, could spur the United Nations health body to look again at its guidelines on mobile phones, the scientists said.

It has long been known that the radio-frequency electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones are absorbed by the body, much of it by the head when the handset is held to the ear.

But research into the possible health consequences of frequent mobile use has proved inconclusive because the technology has only been widely used for a few years while it can take decades for tumours to develop.

Cellphone use has risen hugely since they were introduced in the early 1980s, with 5 billion in use today. And since phones have become such a key part of daily life used by many for Web surfing as well as talking industry experts say a health threat will not stop people using them.

OneIndia News