Cell phone radiation may cause brain tumour

Cell phone use in Pakistan has grown amid potential health risks, including cancer, through radiofrequency (RF) energy emissions from cell phones.

Up till now most studies have focused on whether RF energy can cause malignant brain tumour. The experts are of the opinion that cell phone users are exposed to RF energy, a non-ionising form of radiation, emitted by the cell phones and there is concern about the health implications due to widespread cell phone use, Health News reported.

"The experiments investigating the effects of RF exposure characteristics of cell phones on animals have suggested low levels of RF could accelerate the development of cancer.

However, many of the studies showing increased tumour development were using animals that had been genetically engineered or treated with cancer-inducing chemicals so as to be pre-disposed to develop cancer in the presence of RF exposure," said Dr Masood Ahmad, an expert.

He said the studies investigated any possible association between the use of wireless phones and primary brain cancer, glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma, tumour of the brain or salivary gland, leukemia, or other cancers.

"However, none of the studies can answer questions about long-term exposures, since the average period of phone use in these studies was around three years," he added.