Do mobile phones cause cancer?

Is it true that using a mobile phone hands-free ear piece will cause cancer?


There is currently no firm evidence that using a mobile phone will increase your risk of developing a brain tumour or any other type of cancer. There is information on this page about

* Mobile phones and radio waves
* Research
* Government advice and recommendations

Mobile phones and radio waves

Mobile phones are low powered radio devices that transmit and receive microwave radiation. According to the information produced by the Health Protection Agency Radiation Protection Division, "radio waves do not have sufficient energy to damage genetic material (DNA) in cells, and cannot therefore cause cancer".

The amount of radio wave energy that your body absorbs from a mobile phone can be measured. This is called Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), and this information should now be available on all mobile phones sold in the UK. The SAR of mobile phones in the UK has been within the international exposure guidelines for some years now.

Research

Several research studies carried out in Europe and America have looked at large numbers of people using mobile phones. Most have found no link between brain tumours and mobile phones. A large UK study reported in January 2006 that they could find no link between mobile phone use and glioma. The study included information on over 2,500 people. They found no link between the amount of mobile phone use, length of time since first use, lifetime years of use or number of calls made. The study did not include any information on children using mobile phones. Over 2,500 people took part in this study. Only about 6 or 7 out of every 100 of them had used a mobile for more than 10 years.

A large Danish study has followed over 400,000 people - some of them for 21 years. In December 2006, these researchers published a paper that looked particularly at those who had been using a mobile phone for more than 10 years. They found no increased risk of brain tumour. A 2007 study found that high use of mobile phones may very slightly increase the risk of developing tumours of the salivary glands, but this needs to be confirmed by other research.

One thing to remember is that most of the research carried out has looked at older 'analogue' phones. Most of the phones available in the UK now (especially the newer phones) are digital. These give out less radio wave radiation than analogue phones, and so any potential risk is reduced.

There is very limited research about using a mobile phone with a hands-free set. Some research says holding the phone to your ear will expose you to less radiation than using a headset. Other research says the opposite. But, which ever is true, there is no proof that this low level radiation increases the risk of a brain tumour. There is more research underway in the UK to look into this further.

Government advice and recommendations
The Department of Health (DoH) has published a leaflet about using mobile phones called "Mobile phones and Health" which states that the effectiveness of hands-free sets in lowering radiation is still uncertain. The Government have also recommended that further research into the effectiveness of hands-free sets should take place. Some results from this research should be published soon.

The Government agrees that shielding devices and hands-free kits should be independently tested and that there should be clear information about the effectiveness of such devices in lowering radiation exposure. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have already commissioned independent SAR measurement of hands free kits and the results will be published soon. The Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme Management Committee are carrying out some of this research.

Your exposure to radio waves depends on how long you are using your mobile phone. Because no one can be be absolutely sure about the possible risks, the Government recommends that mobile phones are only used for short calls.

The Government's advisory group's advice is that you use mobile phones for as short a time as possible and preferably with a hands free kit. The chairman of the Government's advisory group, Sir William Stewart, says that children should only use mobile phones in an emergency. There is no evidence that mobile phones are damaging to children either. But if mobile phone use does turn out to have health risks, children would be more at risk because

* They are young
* Their nervous systems are still developing
* Their skulls are thinner

Sir William Stewart believes that children shouldn't use mobiles regularly if they are under 16. If you are concerned, the Health Protection Agency Radiation Protection Division have some useful information on mobile phones that you may find helpful.

Remember - the most dangerous thing about mobile phones is that people use them when they are driving! You have 4 times the risk of having an accident if you are talking on the phone when driving - and hands free kits don't seem to be any safer as far as driving accidents are concerned.