It’s concerning to note that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last updated its safety standards in 1996. To provide some context, this was even before scientists had completed mapping the Human Genome. A logical question arises from this observation: How can a safety standard be expected to protect our genetics if it was established before we had a comprehensive understanding of human DNA?
Over production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has been detected in a whopping 92% of all related studies, and it’s known to be a precursor for genetic damage. The primary health concern isn’t merely the heating effect produced by microwaves, as previously assumed. Instead, the real danger lies in the disruption at the cellular level and the processes within the cell. Such disturbances are potential risk factors for long-term cancer development. To base safety purely on thermal risks, given our current understanding, seems incredibly shortsighted.
This concern is further highlighted by a recent study titled “Mobile phone use and risks of overall and 25 site-specific cancers: a prospective study from the UK Biobank Study,” which was published in “Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev” in 2023.
The comprehensive study aimed to explore the relationship between mobile phone usage and cancer risks. They examined a large cohort of 431,861 participants aged between 38-73 years, with 46.7% being male. Participants who made or received calls at least once a week were classified as mobile phone users for this study.
The findings were alarming. During a median follow-up duration of 10.7 years, a significant percentage of participants developed cancer. The study unveiled a strong correlation between mobile phone usage and heightened risks of specific cancer types in both genders. In men, the associated risks spanned overall cancer, nonmelanoma skin cancer, urinary tract cancer, and prostate cancer. For women, the risks were associated with overall cancer, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and vulva cancer. An intriguing observation was the dose-response relationship between the duration of mobile phone use and the risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer in both genders, as well as prostate cancer in men.
The study underscores the critical importance of either limiting mobile phone usage or ensuring a certain distance from them, especially as a preventive measure against nonmelanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer. Given these findings and our evolving understanding of cellular biology, it’s imperative that safety standards are revisited and updated to reflect our current state of knowledge.
MORE ABOUT THE STUDY
The study, titled “Mobile phone use and risks of overall and 25 site-specific cancers: a prospective study from the UK Biobank Study,” was published in “Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev” in 2023.
The study aimed to investigate the association between mobile phone use and the risk of various cancers. The participants included 431,861 individuals aged 38-73 years, of which 46.7% were male. The primary criteria for being classified as a mobile phone user in this study was using a mobile phone at least once a week for calls.
During the study’s median follow-up period of 10.7 years, a certain percentage of men and women developed cancer. The study found a significant association between mobile phone use and increased risk of specific types of cancer for both men and women. For men, mobile phone use was associated with a higher risk of overall cancer, nonmelanoma skin cancer, urinary tract cancer, and prostate cancer. For women, the risks included overall cancer, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and vulva cancer. Additionally, a dose-response relationship was observed between the length of mobile phone use and the risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer in both genders and prostate cancer in men.
The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of limiting mobile phone use or maintaining a distance from mobile phones as a preventative measure against nonmelanoma skin cancer and prostate cancer.
Link:: https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article-abstract/doi/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-0766/729762/Mobile-phone-use-and-risks-of-overall-and-25-site?redirectedFrom=fulltext