Cancer from your mobile: Do you believe in it?

Needler

Every now and then a study comes out about this but many are inconclusive. Perhaps the mobile phone industry is paying for these studies to become inconclusive because the industry suffer quite badly if it was proven that mobile phones cause cancer.

I'm not sure what to believe myself. I could take the latest study that says phones do/don't/maybe cause cancer or I could wait for the next one to come out which has a more favourable result

starbelgrade

Everything gives you cancer these days.

Overheal

I reckon all the radio and microwaves we've started transmitting all over the spectrum in the last century have had to have had some impact. Not just on us but on the environment. But does that mean your cell phone is giving off enough or any ionizing radiation to give you cancer? I don't know.

later12

I know this is ridiculously anecdotal - and I only mention it because I haven't looked into the *actual* evidence. But whenever I was dating, I always had a far greater incidence of headache, which I felt was related to how much time I spent with my ear to the phone.

Now perhaps people will conclude that there were other externalities at play here, personally I felt my headaches were strongly related to the actual phone use, but I may be quite wrong on this.

As for the cancer morbidity, I don't know...

Needler

later10 wrote: »

But whenever I was dating, I always had a far greater incidence of headache,

I heard these stories about people getting headaches from phones before from people I know but I'd say in your case it was the women wrecking your head

wonderfulname

Quite frankly nobody knows, they haven't been around long enough for us to see if there is in fact an effect that can be directly attributed to their use. This is back in the limelight after WHO published a report a few weeks ago saying they are a possible carcinogen, just like just about everything else then...

seanybiker

Needler wrote: »

I heard these stories about people getting headaches from phones before from people I know but I'd say in your case it was the women wrecking your head

grrrr way to go robbing what i was gonna say.

Capt'n Midnight

4 billion people use mobile phones and so far no one has shown a definitive link.


Phones do get warm in use.
Holding anything up to your ear will also make it feel warmer, and if you persipire it will be wetter, both conducive to the growth of microorgaisms.
When was the last time you sanitised your phone ???


If you want to reduce the radiation from mobile phones
- simply setup more masts so the phones and masts don't have to shout as loud to communicate with each other.
- Ban the sale and use of any device that claims to block mobile phone radiation as the phones will just ramp up the power to break through any barrier.



Cars kill nearly one person a day , they aren't banned

we haven't banned exposure to sunlight either.

one of my weaknesses is burnt toast

And we've done nothing about the threat from cosmic rays

Oxygen is mutagenic and we still allow it :pac:

cgordonfreeman

I always keep my phone in my left pants pocket.

Now I have no left testicle*.

Coincidence?









*Because of cancer
I voted no by the way.

vampire of kilmainham

i dont give a a fcuk anyway

Capt'n Midnight

wonderfulname wrote: »

Quite frankly nobody knows, they haven't been around long enough for us to see if there is in fact an effect that can be directly attributed to their use. This is back in the limelight after WHO published a report a few weeks ago saying they are a possible carcinogen, just like just about everything else then...

update

Actually there are overfive billion mobile phones subscriptions. Almost every adult has one at this stage. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10569081 -six billion by middle of next year

We don't know if any of the five billion mobile phone users will catch cancer from the phone. We do know that in all likely hood 650,000,000 of them will probably die of cancer because that's what causes 13% of deaths worldwide.

Possibly more lives are saved by being able to ring the Samaratins or a close friend for a chat than the threshold of detection of a cancer effect even if you could find one. Also a lot of lives are saved by being able to ring the emergency services while away from a landline and having the triangulation from a base station, a lot of lives have been saved in poorer countires by using mobile phones with a text app / java app to collect medical data for central processing, rural health practicioners can get diagnosis and treatment quickly and cheaply.


It is very likely that cancer is one of the lower risks of using a mobile phone. Car crashes and accidents caused by distraction in their use are statisticaly proven. Probably more people have been killed by having a phone fall under the brake pedal than could be detected as having a higher cancer risk.

BTW bluetooth uses higher photon energy radiation than mobile phones. BUT it uses less of it and besides that radiation has lower energy photons than than the radiation emitted by all objects at room temperature. Einstein got his 1903 Nobel prize for the photoelectic effect, ie. photons of a higher frequency have more energy and can cause greater effects than those of lower energy. So when you sunbathe you are esposing your self to about 500 Watts of high energy radition, that is proven to cause cancer.

Mike 1972

Phones -Possibly (but only with heavy use) but unlikely
Masts -No way

Anyone who protests the construction of mobile phone masts while owning a phone themselves is an idiot.

Calibos

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Phones -Possibly (but only with heavy use) but unlikely
Masts -No way

Anyone who protests the construction of mobile phone masts while owning a phone themselves is an idiot.

I die a little inside when I see another protest about masts. As someone said earlier, we want more masts not less so that the transmitter power can be turned down even lower.

I have always asked people to consider the fact that these cancer blackspots and resulting protests never seem to occur around masts in more affluent/educated areas only in more deprived areas. ie. diet and lifestyle are the prime factors in these cancer blackspots not a phone mast.

CrazyRabbit

Reading those studies gives you cancer.

Einhard

later10 wrote: »

I know this is ridiculously anecdotal - and I only mention it because I haven't looked into the *actual* evidence. But whenever I was dating, I always had a far greater incidence of headache, which I felt was related to how much time I spent with my ear to the phone.

Or more likely down to the fact that you had a girlfriend nagging you over every little thing!:D

Pj!

later10 wrote: »

But whenever I was dating, I always had a far greater incidence of headache

We all get that.

Biggins

I don't know what to believe - but I'm very hesitant about accepting reports supplied by the phone makers testers, that say they might support they paymasters statements that their products do no harm - and I'm not just talking about phones.

DHYNZY

I read a while back that mobile phone use lowers Alzeimers progression, the radiation zaps the plaque that builds up on the brain.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8443541.stm

After all the concern over possible damage to health from using mobile phones, scientists have found a potential benefit from radiation.
Their work has been carried out on mice, but it suggests mobiles might protect against Alzheimer's.

wonderfulname

Mice with mobiles! Savage...

robman60

I wouldn't be all that surprised really.

Also, does anyone else here get a really sharp pain in your ear after talking on the phone? It's been happening me for quite a while now and I'm beginning to wonder what it is.

landsleaving

http://snipsnip.it/a81t42k420s

Cat Melodeon

I'd be skeptical about a link until there is hard evidence, but at the same time, I don't keep my phone in my pocket and I use a hands free set when possible. My family is riddled with cancer of all sorts, no point in taking chances that can be avoided.

theboss80

The Cancer App

Agricola

Everything in moderation = much less lightly to get cancer.

Same for phones Id say. Cut down your daily use as much as possible, maybe cut some people of mid sentence from time to time. You'll buy yourself afew extra years.

Kensington

Don't really believe it.

We're at greater risk from cancer these days due to lifestyles - poor diet, poor exercise, smoking.

Besides, most people would think nothing of planting a laptop with WiFi on their laps for a few hours, or the fact their WiFi router and all their neighbours are on all day, every day, always transmitting, unlike a phone.

wonderfulname

Kensington wrote: »

Besides, most people would think nothing of planting a laptop with WiFi on their laps for a few hours...

Curse you...

saa

I don't think its a good idea to point blank believe they can't, there isn't any clear evidence so I'm guessing the risk is rather low (fingers crossed). Using aerosol deodorant or having sex is more of a high risk activity statistically so I'm wary, keeping an open mind to new information about it but still haven't thrown out my phone, yet.

GhostInTheRuins

Yeah I believe it. In fact I'm convinced that it was using an old ****ty nokia 6610 for the last 7 years that gave me a brain tumour right behind my right ear.

Coincidence and just bad luck? Possibly, but I don't think so.

Radharc na Sleibhte

One day i had my phone in my trouser pocket.
Felt a massive tingle in my sack.
Next thing i get a text message.

Naikon

No real credible evidence in support of this theory. I am going to say "No".

Zapho

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Anyone who protests the construction of mobile phone masts while owning a phone themselves is an idiot.

It amazes me just how many people protest masts, but :
1. Don't actually know what they look like and how small they really are.
2. Don't realise how many there are around them anyway.

My favourite NO O2 MAST HERE sign was placed on a tree just outside O'Briens Bridge, Co Clare - right across the road from a GIANT cross-country ESB pylon. You could have put the O2 mast on the pylon and never even noticed it, that pylon was hideous!

I voted no, btw. There hasn't been an increase in cancer rates following the world wide adoption of the mobile phone - even in the early and mid 90s when the phones had more powerful radios than they do now. I've been very interested in this debate as I used to work a bit in telecomms but now work in the biomedical industry.

johngalway

Maybe, because as starbelgrade said, everything gives you cancer now :rolleyes: I honestly don't care though, I have one because it's mostly useful.

Mike 1972

Zapho wrote: »

My favourite NO O2 MAST HERE sign was placed on a tree just outside O'Briens Bridge, Co Clare - right across the road from a GIANT cross-country ESB pylon. .

AH answer: Maybe they had a point. It would have made more sense to put the aerials on the pylon than on the tree :pac:

Serious Answer: Older readers may remember the row outside various Garda stations when Esat (now O2) did a deal with the cops allowing them to site their aerials on existing police two way radio masts.

Seemingly ten watt mobile phone transmissions are more carcniogenic than four hundred watt police communications signals.

Sticky_Fingers

Naikon wrote: »

No real credible evidence in support of this theory. I am going to say "No".

No real evidence to suggest that it's a load of tosh either. I voted maybe because we just don't know.

landsleaving

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

No real evidence to suggest that it's a load of tosh either. I voted maybe because we just don't know.

Truly, this is a great day for scientific investigation.

krudler

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Phones -Possibly (but only with heavy use) but unlikely
Masts -No way

Anyone who protests the construction of mobile phone masts while owning a phone themselves is an idiot.

one of the biggest facepalm calls I ever took working for phone customer care was a woman who was complaining her group texts werent sending due to lack of coverage, the reason for the group texts? to organise a protest against a new mast being put up the in area to improve the coverage, what an idiot.

Sticky_Fingers

landsleaving wrote: »

Truly, this is a great day for scientific investigation.

Thanks for your support, perhaps we can help those who voted yes/no without any real reason other than a gut feeling or a slight tingling behind their ear

TiGeR KiNgS

Everything gives you cancer according to every scientific report coming from the 'daily fail'. Too much of X, too much of Y....... Honestly if Hitler were alive today they'd say he gives you cancer.

landsleaving

Gut feeling you say? Probably bowel cancer from eating too many mobiles.

Tingling behind the ear you say? I just checked behind there and found a coin, which I then handed to an appreciative child while a small gathered crowd cheered.

Wait, what were we talking about again?

bnt

Here's food for thought: the power of radio waves follows an inverse square law: it drops off sharply over distance. If it's 1W at 1m from the transmitter, it's 1/4W at 2m, 1/9W at 3m, 1/400W at 20m, and so on.

This has two implications:

1. The power put out by your phone is not constant: the further you are from the mast, the more your phone has to crank up the power. You don't really need to worry about the transmitters, ever.
2. In some situations, your phone is transmitting with quite a bit of power - 1W, maybe more - and you're holding the transmitter next to your brain.

So while I don't think "phones -> cancer", because of all the variables: the idea of holding a variable-power gigahertz range radio transmitter next to my head is never going to sit entirely comfortably with me ...

Sticky_Fingers

bnt wrote: »

So while I don't think "phones -> cancer", because of all the variables: the idea of holding a variable-power gigahertz range radio transmitter next my head is never going to sit entirely comfortably with me ...

I suppose you also have to factor in the improvements in the technology over the last few years. When I first got a phone (the Mitsubishi Trium) my ear used to be roasting hot after only 5 minutes talking. The case of the phone was cool but my ear was scorched though I've never had that problem with more modern phones.

Turtwig

No. They. Don't.
Correlation =/= Causation.

/CloseThread.

Mike 1972

bnt wrote: »

Here's food for thought: the power of radio waves follows an inverse square law: it drops off sharply over distance. If it's 1W at 1m from the transmitter, it's 1/4W at 2m, 1/9 at 3m, 1/400 at 20m, and so on.

Bear in mind you are living in a country where its only very recently that (very) basic science has started to be taught as a core subject at primary level.

The vast majority of the Irish public are scientifically illiterate and wont have a clue what youre talking about.

Mike 1972

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

Shouldn't it correspond to the inverse cube law since we are dealing with three dimensions?

Only if the transmitting antenna is fully isotropic which of course can never be the case.

Sticky_Fingers

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Only if the transmitting antenna is fully isotropic which of course can never be the case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRsPheErBj8

Doylers

What about WIMAX masts popping up? People dont give out about them. Its your average idot who doesn't know the facts that gives out about masts. One example is dunhill in Waterford. Loads gave up stink when a chap wanted to put a phone mast in because their was no reception in the village. Not one person complained when they got ripwave and another wireless broadband system in. But yet most of these people spend their days in an office which have a high chance are close to a mast. Just ignorance I think. Rant complete

stamfordbridge

I'd tend to believe that Phones have some impact. It's an established fact that for men, leaving phones in your pocket for prolonged periods of time unfortunately has a deteramental impact on your sperm count.

In terms of cancer, who knows - I'm sure it would be incredibly hard to find out for certain, as almost everyone and their dog has a phone nowadays. Therefore, how does one do a proper test of how cancer inducing a phone if almost everyone has access to one, even indirectly? It would not be reliable to compare it to a culture who don't use phones as their other habits and way of living would be so different to western society, meaning multiple possible reasons why the cancer rate is lower there (ie diet, lifestyle etc).

Personally, my reason for believing that phones could cause some form of cancer is because of blistering headaches I used to get with using one phone in particular. At the time, it was only a temporary phone, but I used to use it for calls quite often. My head would be splitting after a 30 min call - it was obviously not aggreeing with me - it felt it was giving my a migrane after each call! When I stopped using the phone, all migranes stopped and I'm not prone to them at all since.

Hmm. Anyway, just my 2 cents.

Needler

Doylers wrote: »

What about WIMAX masts popping up? People dont give out about them. Its your average idot who doesn't know the facts that gives out about masts. One example is dunhill in Waterford. Loads gave up stink when a chap wanted to put a phone mast in because their was no reception in the village. Not one person complained when they got ripwave and another wireless broadband system in. But yet most of these people spend their days in an office which have a high chance are close to a mast. Just ignorance I think. Rant complete

Maybe they are lower power or at least people think they are.

Freddie59

The phones are more 'dangerous' than the masts. The phone is transmitting a half-centimetre away from your brain. The mast is usually high up on a building. Personally I think the whole thing is bollocks of the highest order. Consider the number of mobiles and mobile users in the world. Number of deaths DIRECTLY related? No-one's come up with a figure after twenty years.

A meeting was held near where I live in the 90s. Lads on a stage smoking and knocking back pints going on about 'health hazards'.:rolleyes: FFS. Only in Ireland.

Freddie59

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Phones -Possibly (but only with heavy use) but unlikely
Masts -No way

Anyone who protests the construction of mobile phone masts while owning a phone themselves is an idiot.

+1 to that. But people are very easily led, unfortunately.

Wasn't there a case last year where someone was going on about headaches caused by a new mast? Turned out (and it was verified) the mast hadn't even been switched on!

jive

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Phones do get warm in use.
Holding anything up to your ear will also make it feel warmer, and if you persipire it will be wetter, both conducive to the growth of microorgaisms.
When was the last time you sanitised your phone ???

You realise your skin protects you from microorganisms (but foreign and those part of the normal skin flora) right?

I do think using your phone for prolonged periods can be bad for you just because if you are on the phone for like half an hour the ear would be burned off you with the heat :pac: can't be good news!