Message sent: 10 safety tips on cell phone use

Twenty expert doctors, led by anticancer advocate Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, have issued a warning regarding the possible dangers of prolonged cell phone use. The group says that preliminary evidence from the Interphone study and other studies shows a possible link between cell phone use and brain tumor occurrence.

The Interphone study (from year 2000 to 2006) is the largest study to look into the link between radiofrequency radiation emitted by cell phones and brain tumors. The study followed up a huge number of brain tumors, including 2,600 gliomas, 2,300 meningiomas, and 1,100 acoustic neurinomas.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber, a brain cancer survivor himself, authored the bestselling book Anticancer: A New Way of Life. In one section, Dr. Servan-Schreiber writes that prolonged cell phone use might lead to an increased incidence of brain tumors, especially in the side of the brain where the cell phone is usually held. The group’s advocacy on cell phone precautions has been likened to the fight against smoking and asbestos 50 years ago.

Other people, however, are more skeptical. There is nothing wrong with taking precautions, but “there is no conclusive evidence tying cell phone use to brain cancer,” said Dan Catena, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society.

Although there is a heated debate on the initial results of the Interphone study, many notable experts (in addition to Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s group) have already endorsed cell phone use precautions. These experts include Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN medical correspondent and Time columnist Dr. Keith Black of Cedars Sinai Medical Center in LA, and Elisabeth Cardis, the head researcher of the 13-country European Interphone study.

The concern over cell phone use was heightened because the doctors’ group believes that children and pregnant women may be at higher risk from the radiation. The child’s developing brain is most likely to be more sensitive to any possible effects of exposure.

Because of these concerns, Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s group came up with a list of 10 precautions on cell phone use. Last year, Dr. Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, also issued a similar advisory to about 3,000 of their faculty and staff about the possible health risks of cell phone use.

1. Do not allow children under 12 years old to use cell phones, except in emergencies. The developing brain of a fetus or child is more sensitive to the possible effects of electromagnetic fields.

2. When using the cell phone, keep the device as far away from the body. It is better to use a headset, ear phones, or apply the speaker-phone mode.

3. If possible, stand away from a person using a cell phone. You may passively be exposed to radiation from other people’s device.

4. Avoid carrying your cell phone on you constantly. Do not place it under your pillow at night. Even on standby mode, it still emits radiation.

5. If you must carry your cell phone, make sure that the face (key pad) is positioned towards your body. Keep the back antenna side away from your body since this emits a stronger magnetic field.

6. Limit your use of cell phone to only a few minutes. It’s better to use a landline with a cord, and not a cordless phone, which also uses a technology similar to cell phones.

7. It’s better to text than to call. Texting keeps the cell phone farther away from your body.

8. Switch sides regularly when you are talking to someone with your cell phone. Wait until the other person answers before placing the phone to your ear. Studies suggest that the side most commonly used by the person is more susceptible to tumor growth.

9. Avoid using your cell phone when the signal is weak, such as in a moving vehicle. This will automatically increase the power of the cell phone as it tries to connect with a new transmission antenna.

10. Choose a cell phone with the lowest SAR (specific absorption rate) possible. SAR measures the strength of the magnetic field absorbed by the body.

Although a lot of people will still disagree and debate about the issue, I believe there is no harm in following these commonsense precautions. More definitive data from the Interphone study will come out in the next few years.

“We do not need to ban this technology, but to adapt it  to harness it  so that it never becomes a major cause of illness,” the group notes.

In the meantime, it’s the parents’ job to make sure that our kids are not exposed to unnecessary risks. So, the next time you engage in a long chat over the cell phone, just keep in mind these 10 precautions. Just keep your conversation short, or use a landline. It’s cheaper and probably safer. –Willie T. Ong, MD (The Philippine Star)