Radiation from Mobile phones classified as a class 2b carcinogen by the WHO

[SafetyFirst]

I was wondering if anyone saw this news that came out in half term week?

www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8548725/Mobile-phones-possibly-carcinogenic-say-World-Health-Organisation-experts.html
Mobile phones 'possibly carcinogenic' say World Health Organisation experts
Mobile phones may increase the risk of developing brain cancer, an influential health organisation has said admitted for the first time.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation, has classified the radiation emitted by handsets as ?possibly carcinogenic? although it did not find evidence of a clear link.

Its decision - putting mobiles in the same risk category as lead, the pesticide DDT and petrol exhausts - will put governments under pressure to update their advice to the public on the potential dangers of talking on mobiles for long periods of time.
.........
Last year a landmark IARC study, known as Interphone, disclosed that making calls for more than half an hour a day over 10 years could increase users? risk of developing gliomas - a type of tumor that starts in the brain or spine - by 40 per cent.
......
As The Daily Telegraph disclosed in March, the Department of Health in England recently updated its advice to the public by saying that sending text messages or using hands-free kits can reduce exposure to radiation, by keeping the handset away from the head.

It is also recommended that children only use mobiles when strictly necessary, as they are at greater risk of absorbing radiation.

[fidelma]

What about the land line in the house that you walk about with?

[methodsandmaterials]

Cancer Research UK have discussed the findings of this study in this blogpost.

[Mowlem]

Methods, that is a fascinating link to Cancer research and Mobile phones. It is good to put the risk in real perspective, as if you read some of the posters on mumsnet, they seem to claim to know that mobile phones almost certainly cause cancer - Good to see a balanced report on the issue! Thank you.

[NotJustKangaskhan]

I remember them talking about how they were going to reassess mobile phones and wi-fi - has there been any results on the risks or not of wi-fi?

[mumeeee]

This actually has been a known risk do ages. It has always been said that there is a bigger risk forth under 16's. This is because your skull doesn't completely thicken unroll you are 16. My brother died of a brain tumour a few years ago so that's how I know this.

[SoloIsAHotCougar]

Yes, that's what I remember too mumeeee there was a news paper article about 10 years ago showing a scan of the brain of a young child before and during a mobile call; it caused me to not let my Ds use my mobile to say hello to his Gparent's at the time.
I always try to have my bluetooth on rather than hold the phone to my ear too.

[MrsSatsuma]

I thought they'd known this for years..? I remember watching the news when I was about 16 (over a decade ago) and seeing an article about tumours developing behind people's ears.

[Mellowfruitfulness]

Thanks, SafetyFirst. I also appreciate a fact-based report.

[thumbwitch]

Interestingly though, according to this report (ignore the website name, the article is from a CNN source apparently) somf of the mobile phone companies themselves are taking precautionary action regarding the potential for carcinogenesis.

[claig]

fidelma, you asked about cordless phones a long time ago. Here is an article talking about the risks of cordless phones, wifi and mobile phones

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-515970/After-cancer-warnings-mobiles-home-phone-putting-health-danger.html

[claig]

and another article about cordless phones

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-376279/Cordless-home-phones-sparks-radiation-fear.html

[edam]

Great link, Method.

When I worked for Which?, some years ago, they did a study on mobile phones and cancer. All they could establish - as Cancer Research says - is that mobile phones do heat up the side of the head that you are holding them too. In theory this could be a bad thing but no-one has been able to show any effect.

Very tricky to study, though. Given how fast the technology changes and how fast the way we use it changes - when Which? did their study a decade ago no-one anticipated smartphones and people holding them the way we do now. But overall the studies showing no increased number of brain cancers since the widespread take-up of mobile phones are reassuring.

[edam]

eek, wrong 'too' there, should be 'to'.

[ingram]

Some doctors are saying children should be careful. There's a report by a charity which wants kids to use phones differently. The report summarises all the evidence - it's not just cancer: www.mobilewise.org/facts/report-mobile-phone-health-risks-the-case-for-action-to-protect-children

[Snorbs]

Hmm. That mobilewise website is not exactly encouraging. Particularly because they completely refute the recently reported Danish study based on a few selective quotes that discuss possible confounding issues (as if any proper scientific study ever says "We stand behind these results 100% and there is no possible chance of any error whatsoever") and then link to the screaming nutjobs at powerwatch.org.uk as a source for more details.

Powerwatch? The loons who think that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a real disease and not the psychological condition that double-blinded study after double-blinded study has proven it to be?

Instant credibility fail, I'm afraid.

[toniatoons]