The Link Between Cell Phones And Cancer

Regardless of what people want to believe, cell phones emit microwave radio-frequency radiation, and that radiation can penetrate our body’s cells. Although governments mainly do nothing to protect people from these possible dangers, there is strong, clear evidence and numerous published, peer-reviewed studies that illustrate and explain that cell phones can cause cancer, among other diseases.

According to the National Institute of Cancer, cancer is the following:

“Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues ... all cancers begin in cells ... cells grow and divide in a controlled way to produce more cells as they are needed to keep the body healthy. When cells become old or damaged, they die and are replaced with new cells. However, sometimes this orderly process goes wrong. The genetic material (DNA) of a cell can become damaged or changed, producing mutations that affect normal cell growth and division. When this happens, cells do not die when they should, and new cells form when the body does not need them." [1]

Therefore, cancer is associated with abnormal cell division and DNA damage, which, in some cases, can form a tumor.

To date, research has shown that cell phone radiation is typically associated with two kinds of brain tumors: gliomas and acoustic neuromas.

Gliomas are a type of tumor that begins in the brain or spine and are typically malignant and very deadly. After diagnosis, people usually survive for only one-to-three years. Acoustic neuroma is a low-grade cancer that can be fatal because they are intracranial tumors.

In this article, we will examine numerous ways cell phones can cause brain tumors, as noted by published evidence.

Cellular Damage

In a 2000 independent study, German Telecom giant T-Mobile reviewed all relevant research on the health effects and risks of wireless telecommunications and concluded, “On the cellular level, a multitude of studies found the type of damage from high-frequency electromagnetic fields which is important for cancer initiation and cancer promotion” [2].

Significantly Increased Risk of Glioma

In a ten-year-long World Health Organization study dubbed the Interphone Study, the researchers concluded, “[R]egular use of a cell phone by adults can significantly increase the risk of glioma by 40% with 1640 hours or more of use (this is about one-half hour per day over ten years)” [3].

Several researchers had cautious statements about the future growth of cell phones.

David Carpenter MD MPH,  Director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY noted this study “should [] serve as a warning to governments that the deployment of new wireless technologies may bring risks to the public that are widespread, involuntary and increase long-term health care costs” [3].

Link Between Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Tumors

In a 2009 study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis examining the association between mobile phone use and tumor risk [4]. The researchers noted a harmful association and concluded, “The current study found that there is possible evidence linking mobile phone use to an increased risk of tumors from a meta-analysis of low-biased case-control studies” [4].

Increased Risk for Glioma and Acoustic Neuroma

In a 2013 study, researchers from the Hardell Research Group – a group of researchers who are consistently renowned and known to be the best – concluded, “A consistent pattern of increased risk for glioma and acoustic neuroma associated with the use of wireless phones” [5]. This was not the first study to note this conclusion either. In a 2008 study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis and concluded, “We conclude that this meta-analysis gave a consistent pattern of an association between mobile phone use and ipsilateral glioma and acoustic neuroma using > or =10-years latency period” [6].

Temporal Lope and Glioma Risk

In a 2014 French study published in the British Medical Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, researchers found evidence linking mobile phone use to an increased risk of glioma and temporal lobe tumors [7]. The researchers noted, “risks were higher for gliomas, temporal tumors, occupational and urban mobile phone use” [7].

Increased Risk of Acoustic Neuroma in Long-Term Users of Cell Phones

In a 2013 study, researchers investigated the relationship between mobile phone use and incidence of intracranial central nervous system (CNS) tumors and other cancers in over 790,000 middle-ages UK women [8] [9]. The researchers found, “women who used cell phones for ten or more years were two-and-a-half times more likely to develop an acoustic neuroma. Their risk of acoustic neuroma increased with the number of years they used cell phones” [8].

Increased Risk of Acoustic Neuroma

In a 2004 study, researchers investigated the relationship between radiofrequency exposure from mobile phones and one’s risk of developing acoustic neuroma [10]. Through long-term use, the researchers noted, “data suggest an increased risk of acoustic neuroma associated with mobile phone use of at least ten years' duration” [10].

Brain Tumor Risk is Higher on 'Cell Phone' Side of Head

In a 2009 study, researchers examined whether there was an association between long-term cell phone usage and the risk of developing a brain tumor [11]. Not only did the researchers note that there was indeed an association, but the researchers also discovered that using a cell phone for at least ten years doubled the risk of being diagnosed with a brain tumor on the same side of the head as that preferred for cell phone use. [11]

Other Cancers

Glioma and Acoustic Neuromas are only two types of many cancer and tumor growths that have been associated with cell phone usage,

Cancer of the Pituitary Gland

The pituitary gland, which many consider being the “master gland” of the body, is a pea-sized organ located in the middle of the brain’s base. This gland produces hormones that play a significant role in regulating vital body functions and general well-being.

One study found, “the risk of cancer of the pituitary gland more was more than twice as high among women who used a cell phone for less than five years as compared to never users” [9].

Thyroid Cancer

Since your thyroid gland is in your neck, using a cell phone against your ear can expose your thyroid to cell phone radiation collected human thyroid cells from healthy patients and subjected them to radiation. A recent Israeli study noted, “The incidence of thyroid cancer has been on the rise in Israel for more than a decade which matches the rise in the use of cell phones.” The study found “evidence of changes in thyroid cells in response to electromagnetic radiation” [12-13].

Skin Cancer

In a 2013 Swedish study, researchers investigated the relationship between exposure to electromagnetic frequencies and melanoma occurrence. The researchers noted that their “main conclusion is that the melanoma epidemic is a result of the modern man-made environment that forces us to live and sleep in invisible but still unhealthy electromagnetic smog” [14].

Oral Cancer

In a 2008 study, researchers investigated the association between cellular phone use and the development of parotid [oral salivary gland] gland tumors (PGTs). This gland is near the cheek, where many users hold their phones. The researchers investigated 460 cases and found, “based on the largest number of benign PGT patients reported to date, our results suggest an association between cellular phone use and PGTs.”

Leukemia

In a review of over 40 studies that investigated the effects of cell tower radiation, the researchers concluded that “there is extremely strong evidence to conclude that cell sites are risk factors for cancer, especially brain tumor and leukemia, but all other cancers also” [15].

Lymph Node Cancer

In an Australian study, researchers exposed one hundred mice to radiofrequency radiation for two 30-minute periods, daily for up to 18 months. The researchers dubbed the increased incidence of lymphoma “highly significant” and added that “it is very unlikely that the faster onset of cancer was due to chance” [16].

Eye Cancer

In a 2001 German study, researchers investigated the connection between radiofrequency radiation in the development of eye cancer. The researchers “found an elevated risk for exposure to radiofrequency-transmitting devices” [17]. A 2005 study also found ocular symptoms and sensations in long-term mobile phone users [18].

Diverse Cancerous Tumors

In a Brazilian study, researchers established a direct link between various cancer deaths, such as tumors in the prostate, lung, kidneys, breast, and liver, in Brazil’s third-largest city, to radiation exposure from cell phone towers. The study noted that “more than 81 percent of people who die in Belo Horizonte by specific types of cancer live less than 500 meters away from the 300 identified cell phone antennas in the city” [19-20].

Other Effects on The Brain

Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) Permeability

The BBB is a highly selective semipermeable border that separates the circulating blood from the brain and extracellular fluid from the central nervous system. This barrier helps to separate the brain by only allowing specific compounds to enter the brain. Think of it as a coffee filter for fluid entering the brain area, but the coffee filter is highly selective and only specific compounds and chemicals to pass. The BBB is so particular as to what it allows through that certain drugs cannot penetrate the BBB, which can make treating certain brain disorders very difficult.

In a 1975 study, researchers discovered that radiofrequency radiation could cause the BBB to leak, and ever since, several studies have confirmed this effect, and some studies have eluded that this effect may lead to cancer [21-24].

Brain Blood Flow

In a 2006 study, Finish researchers studied the effects a phone’s EMF had on cerebral blood flow. Their results suggested that cell phone radiation affects neuronal activity [25].

Brain Cell Loss

In a 2009 study, Turkish researchers examined the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from cell phones on cell life. The researchers noted, “Results showed that [] EMF exposure caused a significant decrease of the [] cell number in the cornu ammonis [part of the brain].” The scientists ended their study by “encourag[ing] researchers to evaluate the chronic effects of [] EMF on teenagers’ brains” [26].

Brain Activity

In a 2014 study, Chinese researchers investigated the effects of a 30-minute phone call (using 4G LTE signal) on brain activity. The researchers found that this exposure “modulated the spontaneous low-frequency fluctuations in some brain regions.” In other words, this exposure changed the brain’s activity state [27].

Texting and Memory

In an Australian study, researchers observed that students who made or received more phone calls or texts per week demonstrated shorter response times on learning tasks, but less accurate working memory [28].

DNA Damage

One of the ways cancer, along with other diseases, is believed to develop is when DNA information is damaged. This damage mutated the DNA, and many studies link cell phone radiation exposure to various kinds of DNA damage.

Single and Double-Strand DNA Breaks

In a pioneer study, researchers at the University of Washington found RF radiation exposure breaks single-strand DNA, and a subsequent investigation found the same effect with double-strand DNA [29-30].

Various Genetic Defects

In an Austrian study, researchers reviewed 101 published articles on the effects of EMFs on DNA and concluded, “there is ample evidence that RF-EMF can alter the genetic material of exposed cells” [31].

Increased Rates of Micronuclei

Research has shown that micronuclei proliferation can indicate a type of DNA damage that is strongly associated with cancer. In a 2006 study, researchers found, “electromagnetic field irradiation [low-level cell phone type exposures] during pregnancy leads to an increase in erythrocytes micronuclei incidence in rat offspring.” Several studies also noted this effect [32].

Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) Production Decreased

In a 2002 study, researches exposed chick embryos to RF radiation. They concluded, “this EMF-induced decrease in HSP70 levels and a resulting decline in cytoprotection suggests a mechanism by which daily exposure (such as might be experienced by mobile phone users) could enhance the probability of cancer and other diseases” [33].

Chromosome Damage

In a 2009 Belgium study, researchers reviewed 16 expert gene monitoring studies from various countries. In 13 of the studies, researchers noted, “RF-exposed individuals have increased frequencies of genetic damage (e.g., chromosomal aberrations)” [34].

A Worse Outlook

Cancers do not form overnight. In most cases, cancerous tumors take many years to develop and grow. Therefore, we might be sitting on a cancer time bomb from the recent increase in cell phone radiation. For example, if there is a 30-year latency and 10% of cell phone users are diagnosed with a brain tumor, millions of people could be affected.

We must stay vigilant and disapprove of the implementation and expansion of 5G, which seems to cause much worse effects than current EMFs, along with other technologies, including smart meter technology [35]. Instead, we should support this type of research and education and promote studies investigating how to make current technology safer.

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References:

[1] https://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/cancerlibrary/what-is-cancer

[2] https://web.archive.org/web/20160318222222/http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/papers/ecolog2000.pdf

[3] https://web.archive.org/web/20180921065419/https://www.bioinitiative.org/freeaccess/press_release/docs/Interphone.pdf

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19826127

[5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0928468012001101

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18425337

[7] https://oem.bmj.com/content/71/7/514.info

[8] https://www.saferemr.com/2013/05/cell-phone-use-acoustic-neuroma-and.html

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23657200

[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15475713

[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19328536

[12] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11356-019-05096-z

[13] https://www.saferemr.com/2014/07/is-mobile-phone-use-contributing-to.html

[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24310359

[15] https://sites.google.com/site/nomarinwoodtower/dr-niel-cherry-s-report-related-to-cell-towers-and-increased-cell-damage-leukemia-etc

[16] https://microwavenews.com/news/backissues/m-j97issue.pdf

[17] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11138823

[18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15708652

[19] https://whyfrywifi.wordpress.com/

[20] http://spanish.peopledaily.com.cn/31614/7059105.html

[21] https://www.cellphonetaskforce.org/the-work-of-allan-h-frey/

[22] https://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/FreyPioneeringPapers.pdf

[23] https://www.cellphonetaskforce.org/the-work-of-leif-salford/

[24] https://www.hindawi.com/journals/pri/2011/920509/

[25] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16495939

[26] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19230827

[27] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24012322

[28] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bem.20534

[29] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7677797

[30] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8627134

[31] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19285841

[32] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16978664

[33] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jcb.10036

[34] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19073278

[35] https://healthmasters.com/consequences-continuous-emf-exposure