Scientists Warn Congress About Cell Phones and Cancer

[Guest guest]

Scientists Warn Congress About Cell Phones and Cancer

_http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/18/scientists-warn

-congress-about-cell-phones-and-cancer.aspx_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/18/scientists-warn-c\

ongress-about-cell-phones-and-c

ancer.aspx)

 

Two scientists told the U.S. House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy that use

of cell phones may raise the risk of brain cancer. The concern came from Dr.

Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute,

and Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the

Environment at the University of Albany.

 

The two scientists cited a major study recently presented by Dr. Lennart

Hardell of Örebro University in Sweden, which stated that people using cell

phones doubled their risk of developing brain cancer and acoustic neuromas, a

tumor that damage the hearing nerve.

 

The study also showed that people who started using cell phone before the

age of 20 years were more than five times as likely to develop brain cancer.

 

The European Parliament recently voted 522 to 16 to urge ministers across

Europe to impose stricter limits for exposure to radiation from mobile and

cordless phones, wi-fi and other radiation-generating devices -- in part

because

children are particularly vulnerable to the risk.

 

Sources: Food Consumer September 26, 2008

 

 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

 

I have been warning of the dangers of cell phones _for nearly a decade now_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/artic

les/archive/2000/12/17/mobile-phones-part-five.aspx) , and as the supporting

evidence keeps mounting, scientists,

medical professionals, and government agencies around the world are starting

to caution against cell phone use as well.

Ever growing scientific research corroborates the suspicion that

information-carrying radio waves transmitted by cell phones and other wireless

devices

can:

* _Cause brain tumors_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/04/02/cell-phones-part-\

nine.aspx)

* _Harm blood cells_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/04/21/cell-phones-part-\

twelve.aspx) and cause _cellular changes_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/03/18/how-cellphone-rad\

ia

tion-affects-your-cells.aspx)

* _Damage your DNA_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/08/cellular-phones.a\

spx)

* _Cause nerve-cell damage_

(http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1241519 & blobtype=pdf)

* _Accelerate and contribute to onset of autism_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/27/how-cell-phones-m\

ay-cause-autism.aspx

) , and _trigger Alzheimer’s disease_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/02/22/cell-phone-radiat\

ion-part-one.aspx)

* _Damage your eyes_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/09/01/cell-phones-can-d\

amage-your-eyes.aspx)

* _Cause sleep disruptions_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/02/16/can-cell-phones-g\

ive-you-insomnia.aspx) , fatigue and

headaches

Tumor immunologist Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of

Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), is the last in a recent succession of

authorities that are speaking out publicly about the potential dangers of cell

phones.

Dr. Ronald Herberman’s Message

Earlier this year, Dr. Herberman sent out a staff _advisory_

(http://www.upci.upmc.edu/news/upci_news/072308_celladvisory.cfm) that

included a summary

analysis of the recent studies forming the basis of his precautionary message.

In his _testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy_

(http://domesticpolicy.oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=2199) on September 25,

2008, Dr. Herberman stated:

“My evaluation of the scientific and technical information indicating the

potential hazards of cell phones was built on the foundation of my extensive

experience in cancer research and critical evaluations of reports being

submitted for peer-reviewed publications.

I recognized that there was sufficient evidence to justify the precautionary

advisories that had been issued in other countries, to alert people about

the possibility of harm from long-term, frequent cell phone use, especially by

young children.

Then, Dr. Davis and I consulted with international experts in the biology of

radiofrequency (RF) effects and the epidemiology of brain tumors, and with

experts in neurology, oncology and neurosurgery at UPCI.

Without exception, all of the experts contacted confirmed my impression that

there was a sound basis to make the case for precaution, especially since

there are simple and practical measures that can be taken, to be able to

continue to use cell phones while substantially reducing the potential

hazards.â€

Dr. David Carpenter and the BioInitiative Report

_Dr. Carpenter also testified_

(http://domesticpolicy.oversight.house.gov/documents/20080925142600.pdf) about

the scientific foundation for cautionary

measures before the U.S. House Subcommittee. Dr. Carpenter is a physician who

has researched and published more than 300 articles in peer-reviewed journals

on the environmental causes of human disease.

He also served as the co-editor of _The BioInitiative Report_

(http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm) , published August 31, 2007, by

an

international working group of scientists, researchers and public health policy

professionals.

The report documents serious scientific concerns about the current limits

regulating how much radiation is allowable from power lines, cell phones, and

many other sources of exposure to radiofrequencies and electromagnetic fields

in daily life.

It concludes that the existing standards for public safety are completely

inadequate to protect your health. The report also includes studies showing

evidence for:

* Effects on Gene and Protein Expression (Transcriptomic and Proteomic

Research)

* Genotoxic Effects – RFR and ELF DNA Damage

* Stress Response (Stress Proteins)

* Effects on Immune Function

* Effects on Neurology and Behavior

* Brain Tumors and Acoustic Neuromas

* Childhood Cancers (Leukemia)

* Magnetic Field Exposure: Melatonin Production; Alzheimer’s Disease;

Breast Cancer

* Breast Cancer Promotion (Melatonin links in laboratory and cell

studies)

* Disruption by the Modulating Signal

Dr. Vini Gautam Khurana’s Review of More than 100 Studies

Another noted brain cancer authority who has recently voiced his concerns is

Australian _Dr Vini Gautam Khurana_

(http://www.brain-surgery.net.au/c_a.html) . He is a Mayo Clinic-trained

neurosurgeon with an advanced neurosurgery

Fellowship in cerebral vascular and tumor microsurgery. In February 2008, Dr.

Khurana issued a paper titled: _Mobile Phones and Brain Tumors_

(http://www.brain-surgery.us/mobph.pdf) after reviewing more than 100 sources

of recent

medical and scientific literature.

Says Dr. Khurana,

“In the context of the fact that widespread mobile phone usage commenced in

the mid-1980s (earliest in Northern Europe), with the first 10 years of

widespread usage ending in the mid-1990s, and the fact that solid tumors may

take

several years to trigger and form, it seems plausible to expect that if no

appropriate changes are made by Industry and consumers alike, in the next 5 -

10 years the aforementioned concerning associations will likely be

definitely proven in the medical literature.â€

He goes on to say:

“Given the calculated “incubation time†and the commencement of mobile

telephony’s mass deployment in Sweden, it is no surprise that Swedish

researchers

were among the first to report a positive association between cell phone use

and brain tumor risk.â€

Public Warnings on the Rise

Like I’ve said before, there’s really no shortage of evidence showing that

cell phone use (and other wireless devices) can be dangerous to your health.

Fortunately more and more people are beginning to take the warning signs

seriously.

In 2005, the British-based National Radiological Protection Board suggested

_children younger than age 8 should not be given a cell phone_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/04/27/cell-phones-part-\

thirteen.aspx

) as it risks exposing their young bodies to harmful radiation. This year

Toronto's department of public health followed suit, warning that because of

possible side effects from radio frequency radiation, children under 8 should

only use a cell phone in emergencies, and teenagers should _limit calls to

less than 10 minutes_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/09/why-children-and-\

teens-should-stay-away-from-cell-phones.aspx?source=nl)

..

 

The U.K., Belgium, Germany, France and Russia have also introduced

precautionary policies regarding cell phone usage due to potential health

risks.

Few people realize this, but brain cancer has now surpassed leukemia as the

number one cancer killer in children, and many scientists believe this is

directly linked to the _exponential increase in cell phone use_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/10/30/children-should-n\

ot-use-cell-pho

nes-but-my-today-show-interview-does-not-support-that.aspx) and other

wireless devices.

Australia has seen an increase in pediatric brain cancers of 21 percent in

just one decade. This is consistent with studies showing a 40 percent brain

tumor increase across the board in Europe and the U.K. over the last 20 years.

The INTERPHONE Study – Will it Settle the Issue in Time?

As reported in _Microwave News_

(http://www.microwavenews.com/interphonecracks.html) in June this year, the

results from the largest cell phone study to

date are being eagerly awaited by both industry and governments worldwide.

_The INTERPHONE Project_ (http://www.mmfai.org/public/interphone.cfm) -- a

13-country epidemiological study of tumors among users of mobile phones – is

already lagging three years behind its scheduled completion date. Part of the

delay in putting together the final report now appears to be internal

strife, as scientists are joining opposing camps of “safe†vs.

“unsafe.â€

Dr. Lennart Hardell’s study mentioned in the article above is part of this

larger research project.

The outcome of this particular study may be more vital than most people

realize, as institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the

European Commission have cautioned that conclusions about possible cancer risks

cannot be drawn until the INTERPHONE study is published.

If the wrong conclusions are drawn from these studies, the resulting lack of

public warnings could have disastrous consequences for the generations to

come.

In Conclusion

Remember, the damage from cell phone exposure will take many years to

surface. There are rarely any initial symptoms, just like smoking and lung

cancer.

Do you really want to risk the chance of developing brain cancer because you

can’t sacrifice the minor inconvenience of using your cell’s speaker phone,

or using a safe headset?

I recently finished writing my latest book, Wireless Deception, which covers

this serious health issue in greater depth. But for immediate

recommendations on how to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of

cell phone

radiation, please review the guidelines included in my previous article, _Now

Half the World Has a Cell Phone - - Why That is a Brain Tumor Epidemic

Waiting to Happen_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/06/14/51952.aspx) .

 

Related Articles:

 

_Cell Phone Dangers -- What They Don't Want You to See_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/26/cell-phone-danger\

s-what-they-don-t-w

ant-you-to-see.aspx)

 

_What's More Important -- Your Cell Phone Or Your Brain_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/05/20/what-s-more-impor\

tant-your-cell-pho

ne-or-your-brain.aspx)

 

_Why Brain Surgeons Are Avoiding Cell Phones_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/06/19/why-brain-surgeon\

s-are-avoiding-cell-phones.as

px)