Cell Phones and Brain Cancer

[PennyQuilts]

We've all seen the reports that there is a connection. And the denials. Any thoughts? My kids use cells but text far more than they actually hold it to their heads. And I am happy about that. I hardly every use my cell to speak on but carry it around in my back pocket because it is an Iphone and I use the apps. I'm thinking there is plenty of padding on my hip pocket to avoid a tumor in any vital part but all the same, I think I will start setting on the table when it would otherwise just be sitting in my pocket beaming cancer or something at me.

Setting aside my questionable (to some) political and other beliefs <vbg>, do these worries sound crazy, kinda like wrapping myself in aluminum to keep the guv'ment from reading my thoughts?

[nik4411]

Penny I wonder the same thing. I guess there is no way to find out, until somewhere down the line things start popping up? And that is IF they do, hopefully there will be no long term affects. It makes you wonder though.

[bandnerd]

I think they have had reports that they can contribute and that they don't contribute.

Frankly, I don't keep my phone on my person. The only time it is close to me is when I'm asleep because it's my alarm and I use this iPhone app that tracks your sleep cycles (more for fun than anything). Otherwise, it's in my purse, locked in a cabinet all day, or it's very likely in another room in the house, or across the room.

I also don't stand next to the microwave at work when it's running.

[OKC@heart]

I know that there has been little if any evidence that has supported that the increase in use of Cell Phones has led to an increase in brain or other types of cancer. Much of this may be that it takes much longer for things of this nature to evolve and show trends enough to trace back to one thing or another.

However, I do know this...when I worked as an implementation engineer for Sprint PCS, I was incharge of the installation and construction of the cell towers in the Houston Market. While employed there it was a safety requirement that no person was supposed to be infront of active transmitting antennas. They were to be powered down first.

This leads to the question...so if the towers talk to the phones, the phones then talk to the towers to transmit the signals...that means the phone by your ear and brain are being exposed to high levels of RF that probably would be better if avoided.

I would go hands free wherever possible, although I hate the look of those dang bluetooth devices. Just saying!

[kevinpate]

I'm certain there are issues with my brain.
I'm not likely to be able to blame these issues on cell phone transmissions.

Diet Coke on the other hand .....

[PennyQuilts]

Oh good lord. Now I have to give up my diet coke, too??

[kevinpate]

Oh good lord. Now I have to give up my diet coke, too??

I almost have. For decades it was the only diet drink I could stand.
Then I was persuaded to try both diet sunkist and diet dr. pepper.
DDP is the preferred drink now.

I prefer the flavor and it agrees with me more, to the abject disappointment of the Pepcid folks. To be certain, Pepcid and I do still date. However, I'm no longer its loyal slave.

[dismayed]

3G phones operate in the 1.9 GHz frequency spectrum. Bluetooth wireless headsets operate at 2.4 GHz. If you're concerned about the frequencies being too high, then you should know that Bluetooth headsets operate in an even higher band.

There's no escaping these frequencies any longer. Wireless internet in your house, cordless phones on your home line, wireless speakers, some alarm systems, etc. all are blasting away in these same frequency ranges.

[workman45]

3G phones operate in the 1.9 GHz frequency spectrum. Bluetooth wireless headsets operate at 2.4 GHz. If you're concerned about the frequencies being too high, then you should know that Bluetooth headsets operate in an even higher band.

There's no escaping these frequencies any longer. Wireless internet in your house, cordless phones on your home line, wireless speakers, some alarm systems, etc. all are blasting away in these same frequency ranges.

Thanks for the information. The more informed you are the better the decision.

[mugofbeer]

I think this issue is one that demands more research. Where I have worked, people used headphones. I have known 3 people from there who had brain tumors of various degrees all on the side where they generally wore the earpiece. Another acquaintance there had a tumor in the front of his head where he wore electronics in the military for flying a helicopter. I think there could be something to it.

As far as cell phones, I imagine you would have to have the phone against your head an awful lot of time to cause such things.

[PennyQuilts]

I think I need a thin lead table to sit this laptop on...

[OKC@heart]

Just dont eat food off of that table!

[PennyQuilts]

Just dont eat food off of that table!

I can't win...

[dismayed]

I think this issue is one that demands more research. Where I have worked, people used headphones. I have known 3 people from there who had brain tumors of various degrees all on the side where they generally wore the earpiece. Another acquaintance there had a tumor in the front of his head where he wore electronics in the military for flying a helicopter. I think there could be something to it.

As far as cell phones, I imagine you would have to have the phone against your head an awful lot of time to cause such things.

The thing that is kind of scary about most of our cell phone studies is that they typically do not look for patterns involving cumulative use. As the decades roll on maybe more of that type of information will begin to surface.

Honestly the thing I'd be more worried about is stuff like testicular cancer. At least your noggin has a nice old bone cage around it. Not so with respect to your phone in your pocket all day long cozying up to your naughty parts. :-)

[PennyQuilts]

Honestly the thing I'd be more worried about is stuff like testicular cancer. At least your noggin has a nice old bone cage around it. Not so with respect to your phone in your pocket all day long cozying up to your naughty parts. :-)

I think I am in the clear on the testicular cancer although after losing my mom to ovarian cancer, I'm a little wary on that score.

[Bunty]

Hopefully the signals radiated from cell phone towers are safe to live by. Apparently, the Oklahoma City tower farm has turned out safe to live nearby.

[MadMonk]

However, I do know this...when I worked as an implementation engineer for Sprint PCS, I was incharge of the installation and construction of the cell towers in the Houston Market. While employed there it was a safety requirement that no person was supposed to be infront of active transmitting antennas. They were to be powered down first.

This leads to the question...so if the towers talk to the phones, the phones then talk to the towers to transmit the signals...that means the phone by your ear and brain are being exposed to high levels of RF that probably would be better if avoided.

Are you kidding? If you were a cell tower engineer, you know that the transmission power on the tower is much higher than anything even remotely possible on a cellphone. It has to be that high to overcome attenuation of the signal over distance. I know guys who could cook their lunch on a tower microwave antenna and it's a valid safety issue. However, hand-held cellphones only transmit at a maximum of 1.6 watts (usually much less to save battery). Even the old analog bag phones and units installed in cars maxed out at only 3 watts. That's why you have to have so many cell towers around. You aren't going to be cooking your brain by using a cellphone.

However, I agree with you that long, long, long-term extended usage even at those lower power levels may be an issue, but when compared to all the other RF we are constantly exposed to, I think the risk is very minimal. And BTW, that bluetooth earpiece uses RF too.