Monday 07/2008

There is now over a decade of research looking into the possible carcinogenic effects of radiation from cellphones. No conclusive link has been shown, but the evidence is mounting and calls for caution have ramped up sufficiently to suggest that there is now cause for serious concern.

In the latest development, according to a report from Reuters, the French Health Ministry has issued a warning against excessive usage of cellphones, especially by children. "As the hypothesis of a risk cannot be entirely excluded, precaution is justified," the ministry said.

The French ministry's caution follows the latest in a long series of research results that have shown some statistical link between cellphone usage and various types of cancer. In the most recent such research, the results of which were published in December in the January 2008 edition of the American Journal of Epidemiology oncologist, Dr Siegal Sadetzki at Israel's Chaim Sheba Medical Centre and his research team examined 402 cases of benign tumours and 58 cases of malignant tumours of the parotid gland, in the neck in Israeli adults over the age of 18. All were heavy cellphone users.

Israeli newspaper Yedoit Aharonot, which had access to an abstract of the report, said that the researchers had put the risk of developing a parotid gland tumour nearly 50 percent higher for frequent mobile phone users - more than 22 hours a month. The risk was still higher if users clamped the phone to the same ear, did not use hands-free devices or were in rural areas where fewer base stations meant that cellphones had to bump up transmit power levels.

"Analysis restricted to regular users or to conditions that may yield higher levels of exposure (eg heavy use in rural areas) showed consistently elevated risks," said the abstract.

These latest findings have yet to bring about any significant shift in the tone of responses by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Assocation (AMTA), which has consistently dismissed each new set of findings as being no cause for concern.