So what does all this science stuff say about cell phone use. The biological studies hare largely been negative, although some studies have shown changes in cells or their genes after prolonged exposure to cell phone radiation. However, the exposures were greater than what would occur with even frequent cell phone use, so the utility of these studies are questions.
The epidemiological evidence can best be described as mixed. In other words, there is no strong signal, no strong correlation between cell phones and brain tumors. Neither, however, has any correlation been adequately ruled out. We are still in that pesky we need more data phase. Here is the
FDA summary of the evidence so far.
A recent meta-analysis suggested that there may be a small increase in risk for certain kinds of tumors only in those with exposure for greater than 10 years. I do not put a great deal of faith in meta-analyses. They have their own problems. I prefer systematic reviews. But sometimes they give a snap shot of the current literature on a specific question.
This meta-analysis also, however, was published before an even more recent, and very large, UK study that found no association between cell phones and tumors. Thats reassuring, but the literature is likely to go back and forth like this for a while. Eventually, all of the criticisms and short comings of prior studies will be used to design a few very large and fairly definitive studies, and then a firmer consensus will likely emerge.
For now, we remain hopeful but cautious. For those who want to err on the side of caution, there are some reasonable recommendations (these come from multiple organizations, so they seem to represent a consensus, or at least plagiarism).
- Limit your cell phone use (duh.)
- Do not allow small children to begin using cell phones.
- Use a head set to increase the distance from the antenna to your head.