A book made up of multiple news articles and writings on issues to do with cancer. The source I am using is an article from the Daily Mail. Despite its accuracy and reliability, it was not recently written. It was written in January of 1998, precisely 10 years ago. Ideas may have changed considerably since the article was written.
12- http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/braintumour1.shtml
This source is reliable as it includes clearly structured and factual information on brain tumours. Dr Trisha Macnair who is a professional medical journalist and broadcaster last edited the source. This was fairly recent in November of 2007.
13-http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/25/nmobile25.xml
This is also fairly reliable but it was last updated at the beginning of 2007 so more research may have been done since. Despite this, Nic Fleming, who is the Telegraph Newspaper’s science correspondent, wrote it. It must be fairly accurate as he specialises in science.
14- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=374620&in_page_id=1774
This source has medium reliability. It was last updated two years ago, on the 20th January 2006. The article is not biased and is mainly factual. It is unclear who wrote the article but it comes from a respectable newspaper. It does not indicate what sources were used to write the article so the evidence may not be totally reliable.
15- http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/shouldiworryabout/mobiles.shtml
This link is fairly reliable although its details are unclear. The writer is unlisted and no date of last edit is shown. However, from my own judgement, some of the evidence included seems to be accurate and not from another source. Other pieces of evidence are vague.
16- http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/mobiles-do-not-cause-tumours-scientists-find-484730.html
This is fairly reliable as it comes from a good source, the telegraph newspaper. It was written by Steve Connor, who is the telegraphs Science Editor. The article was written in April 2005 so more research may have been done since then.
Introduction
Mobile phones are becoming a basic necessity to most within our society. Many people depend upon this technology to live their day-to-day lives. But there are questions of whether this technology causes brain tumours through the radiation emitted. I will study both sides of the arguments surrounding this theory and come to a sensible conclusion answering the question: “Do mobile phones cause brain tumours”
History of Mobile Phones
A Basic Definition: “Any wireless telephone that operates over a relatively large area, as a cellular phone or PCS phone.” [1]
The first mobile telephones were used in the 1940’s. This technology was based primarily in ships or aircrafts and military vehicles. These were radiotelephones. Then, there were radiophones in cars and finally, in the 1980’s, cellular phones. There were already theories for cellular mobile technology in the 1940’s but it took another 40 years to shape. [2]
Cellular phones began as large devices; very different from the Mobile phones used these days. These phones had very basic features. The phones were used for calls only. But the mobile phone has become much more than this.
Newer phones were invented, smaller in size. The next addition was the text feature. Since then there have been even more additions. Mobile Phones can connect to the Internet and act as cameras or mp3 players. Even video messaging is available. Practically every portable electronic device has been added as a feature, which comes with most mobile phones.
This has caused people to associate mobile phones with much more than just phone calls. People now expect phones to include features such as ‘Bluetooth’ and music players or camera’s.
Most teenagers and adults living in Britain today have their own mobile phone. People often talk to each other for long periods of time using these devices and there are theories that this common use of mobile phones can cause brain tumours.
Technology of Mobile Phones
When radiotelephones were used in cars, there was only one central antenna tower in each city and only about 25 channels available per tower. These phones needed powerful transmitters; they had to be able to transmit for about 70 km around. Also, the fact that there were only 25 channels meant that the new technology could not be widely used. Now, cellular technology allows each city to be split into cells, meaning that millions of people can talk on the phone at the same time.
Cell phones can be compared to walkie-talkies or CB radios to show how the technology differs. CB radios and walkie-talkies are half-duplex devices. This means that two people talking on a CB radio are using the same frequency so only one person can be speaking at a time. Mobile phones are full-duplex devices. This means that there is one frequency for talking and another for listening allowing two people to speak at the same time. A walkie-talkie has 1 channel and a CB radio has 40 but a typical mobile has about 1644 channels or more. CB radios have a 5 miles range and walkie-talkies have a 1 mile range but mobile phone have an incredibly large range. “Someone using a cell phone can drive hundreds of miles and maintain a conversation the entire time because of the cellular approach.” [6]
In the US, cell phone systems allow the cell phone carrier to receive about 800 frequencies across the city. The city is split into cells, which are about 26 square kilometres and are normally mapped out as hexagons. Each cell has a base station with a tower and a small building with the radio equipment.
Brain Tumours
A Basic Definition: “May be subdivided into primary brain tumours and the more common, secondary brain tumours. Primary brain tumours (for example astrocytoma, craniopharyngioma, glioma, apendymoma, neuroglioma) arise from the uncontrolled proliferation of cells within the brain. Secondary brain tumours occur from the spread of cancer into the brain from a distant cancerous organ (metastasis). Common symptoms of a brain tumour include headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, a change in mentation, neurologic symptoms, and loss of memory.” [6]
Other than being millions of nerve cells, the brain has a support structure of blood vessels and coverings including bone holding up the skull. Nerve cells in the brain will not form cancers [7]; it is in the structures supporting the brain where cancers form. These structures include: the meninges, the glial cells, blood vessels, the bone of the skull and the pituitary gland. Most brain tumours arise from the spread of cancer from the lung to the brain. [6]
Like any other type of cancer, the main ways of curing brain tumours are chemotherapy, surgery and, ironically, exposure to radiation. [8] Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are used to treat the most inaccessible and inoperable brain tumours. Steroids can also be used to control the swelling of the skull.
Radiation
There are 7 different types of electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Here is a table showing all seven and their uses:
Everything in the electromagnetic spectrum can be called radiation, however, there are two main types of radiation. The radiation at the top of the scale is called ionising radiation. This is because it can alter matter, including human cells. It has a very high energy level, which can change a molecules structure. Consequently, this type of radiation can be dangerous. It can cause mutation of DNA, often leading to cancer. As well as causing cancer, this radiation type can cure it.
Radiowave does not come under this category. It is non-ionising radiation and it has a much lower frequency. The energy is much lower and it cannot change a molecules structure.
Mobile phones use radiowaves to transmit signals, however they are sometimes referred to as microwaves because the frequency mobile phones use is right on the border of radiowaves and microwaves. Because the radiation mobiles phones use is non-ionising, scientists do not know the theory of why mobile phones may cause brain tumours.
Mobile Phones Cause Brain Tumours
For over ten years, research into whether mobile phones cause brain tumours has been carried out, with varying results. Much of this research has proved that there is a large possibility that the radiation from mobile phones does, in fact, cause brain tumours.
More research is necessary to answer the question-
The Times Newspaper asks the question: “Could mobile phones be the cigarettes of the 21st century?” and receive the answer, “Absolutely” [10]. Professor Lawrie Challis, expert on mobile phone radiation, chairman of the mobile telecommunications programme and physics professor, believes that mobile phones could possibly be considered a huge health risk once research is carried out. When questioned about the many “vague concerns” about mobile phone technology, Challis immediately remarks that, we should have these concerns. He mentions that research carried out on people who have been regular mobile phone users for 10 years or less have proved that there is no danger. This is encouraging, however he goes on to say that there is a hint of evidence for people who have been using them longer. A European study gave results displaying that out of the people who used mobile phones for longer than 10 years, many got brain tumours.
Professor Challis stresses the fact that more time and research is necessary to come to a conclusion on this topic. “You can look at almost any cancer where you know what the cause was. You find absolutely nothing for ten years”, he says, hinting at the discovery that there is a link between smoking and cancer. “You look at what happened after the atomic bomb. Nagasaki, Hiroshima. You find again a long delay, nothing for ten years. The same for asbestos disease.” [10]
He plans to conduct a study following 200,000 volunteers, some being long term mobile phone uses for five years, perferably ten, for more accurate results. [10]
Some scientists believe that mobile phone radiation will not affect children anymore than it would adults, however,Professor Challis feels differently, “We all know that if you’re exposed to sunlight as a kid you’re much more likely to get skin cancer than if you’re exposed as an adult.” He goes on to say, “We have absolutely no idea whether they’re different in reaction to this sort of radio frequency. But all we do know is that there are reasons why they might be.” [10] His advice is that children in primary education should not be given mobile phones, and, once in secondary education, should use them mostly for texting rather than phone calls. However, this is just an opinion, with no factual evidence supporting it.
Many people question why any research at all is being carried out about the dangers of mobile phones after we have lived for over 100 years since the invention of radio technology without any links between radiowaves and cancer. Be that as it may, there are arguments opposing that view as, until very recently, noone put a transmitter right by their ear allowing radiation to be absorbed into their head. Furthermore, the exposure from mobile phones can be up to tens of thousands times more than the exposure from a television broadcast or mobile phone mast. What’s more, about 40 percent of the radiation from mobiles is absorbed into our heads. [10] In my opinion, it is possible that there have been long term implications on our health from radio technology and television that noone has yet noticed, however, this is just a possibility with no evidence.
When the Times asked if they could phone Challis later he replied, “As far as health is concerned, bare in mind I’m not a young guy. Rather different from being a child or a young person or people of your age.” [10]
Professor Challis seems to feel that we should not jump to conclusions about the link between the radiation from mobile phones and brain tumours, however, we should remain cautious in the way we, and our children, use mobile phones until further links are made.
This argument is convincing as it includes several strong premises to support it. Nevertheless, many of these premises are just educated guesses with no substantial evidence backing them up. Even so, the argument does insist that only educated guesses can be made until further research is carried out and more evidence is gained.
There is a strong correlation between brain tumours and mobile phone usage-
In a 1990’s news article, Richard Shears writes about the link between mobile phone popularity and the rise in the number of people with brain tumours in Australia.
There is evidence that during the 10 years when mobile phones became popular, the number of brain tumours increased by ‘more than 60 percent in woman and 40 percent in men.’[11] More studies made in the US and Australia proved that mobile phones caused mice and rats to have cancer, short-term memory loss, and lapses in concentration. After Dr Dean Rittamann, an American Heart Surgeon and regular mobile phone user, died, his family sued his phone company, claiming his death was caused by his mobile phone usage.
Dr Davidson, who was based at Fremantle Hospital, claimed that there was evidence from around Australia that brain cancers were increasing. They had risen from 6 to 8 people with brain tumours out of 100,000 between 1982 and 1992. [11]
This is a well-supported argument as there is concrete evidence to support the points being made. Despite this, the evidence does not seem to be considerably significant in amount. The percentage increase may seem large but the actual amount of brain tumours increased by only two. I think that this tiny increase could just be an outcome of a factor, which is not mobile phone usage, which may have also been increasing in use over the years. Another limitation is the fact that the argument was written 10 years ago meaning that further research has been done since, and the evidence may no longer be valid.
A brain tumour is more likely when the phone is used predominantly on one ear-
On the BBC website, in an article about brain tumours, there is another idea about brain tumours and mobile phone usage. [12]
There is evidence that the risk of getting a brain tumour due to mobile phone use is higher if the phone is used more regularly on one side of the head. “A large survey of all these studies (about mobile phones and brain tumours) found people who have used a mobile phone for ten years or more have a 20 per cent increase in risk of a malignant brain tumour when the phone is used on both sides of the head. For people using one for ten years or longer predominantly on one side of the head, the survey says there's a 200 per cent increased risk of a tumour.” [12]
This argument has good points backed up with tangible evidence. It comes from a reliable source and was written by a professional. However, some of the evidence could be inaccurate. I think that, for psychological reasons, many people with brain tumours would say that they used their phone mostly on the side their brain tumour is growing when they may subconsciously not actually be entirely sure.
Another source supporting this idea is from the telegraph online. The article talks about how mobile phone use is linked to brain tumours and argues that brain tumours, which are caused by mobile phones, are more likely to occur on the side the phone is mostly used. [13]
The article talks about research that has been carried out “When they looked at only people who had used a mobile for ten years or more, they found that they were 39 percent more likely than average to get a glioma on the side of their head where they held their handset” [13]
This article has a good argument supported by valid evidence however, once again; the evidence that brain tumours were on the side of the head where phones were held is not completely accurate. It is also apparent that more research needs to be done to come to a conclusion.
Conclusion
From all the evidence given here, it seems as though there is more research to be done. Consequently, it is hard to settle on an opinion. The arguments all agree that there seems to be an increasing correlation in data to do with how many brain tumours people have and how many people regularly use mobile phones. I believe that there will be clearer arguments for this point in the future with more facts and less opinions after more investigations are completed.
Mobile Phones Do Not Cause Brain Tumours
Much of the research into whether mobile phones cause brain tumours is inconclusive, suggesting that mobiles phones do not actually cause brain tumours.
Short-term research hardly shows a correlation between mobile phone usage and brain tumours-
In a Daily Mail article from 2 years ago, studies about the link between mobile phones and tumours were considered and the writer came to a conclusion that there was no current evidence that cell phones do cause brain tumours.
When the article was written, the latest study had involved 966 people with glioma and 1716 healthy volunteers to act as a comparison. Both groups were interviewed about their use of mobile phones. Researchers from the Universities of Leeds, Nottingham and Manchester institute of cancer research in London reported that the people who regularly used mobiles were not at a higher risk of developing glioma than those who did not. [14]
Researches took notice of a correlation between the side of the head a mobile was most commonly used and a higher risk of contracting a brain tumour, yet they reconsidered the evidence believing that people were making their own link between their brain tumour and their phone usage thus exaggerating the number of calls made on each ear. [14]
The writer does note that mobile phones have not been widely used for very long period of time. This point may suggest that there is still a chance for more details to be found out. “It might take 30 years or more to show up any link.” [14]
There are good points in this argument. However, the writer notes the fact that there is more research to be done. The argument is not based on evidence proving the hypothesis “mobile phones do not cause brain tumours”. Instead it is based on the fact that there is no evidence to disprove the hypothesis. This does not provide strong enough premises to be completely convincing.
Current research shows no correlation but the benefits outweigh any dangers
This Internet page from the BBC attempts to answer the question; “Should I worry about mobile phones?” It gives an opinion on current facts, studies, and ideas from scientists at the moment. Its main purpose is to advise people on whether they should be more cautious with their mobile phones. [15]
Despite the fact that there have been a few studies claiming that mobile phones do cause brain tumours, evidence proving that they do is very rare. These few pieces of evidence appear to have been caused by old style analogue phones rather than the now commonly used mobile phones, which have signal of less strength. “The general scientific opinion at the moment is that the benefits of mobile phones seem to outweigh any known dangers” [15]
This BBC “Should I worry about ” team conducted an experiment to do with mobile phone base stations. They noticed that there were complaints in places with a high concentration of mobile phones masts about people experiencing symptoms and wondered if these symptoms were just psychological. They housed a group of students and put a mobile mast in the back garden. They told the group that the mast was on at the start of the experiment and off at the end when in fact it was off at the beginning and on at the end. It was interesting that the students only said they felt ill at the times they thought the phone mast was on while it was actually off. This experiment suggests that people’s fear of phone masts may be what is making them ill. [15]
The BBC poses the question “Should we all chuck our phones in the bin?” and answers it with “Probably not”. This is because they believe that the benefits outweigh the risks.
This point is valid and makes sense when compared to the other arguments. Once again, there is no real evidence to prove the hypothesis, only the fact that there is not enough evidence to disprove it.
The radiation from mobile phones is not strong enough to damage DNA cells
As shown in my above section about radiation, mobile phones emit radiation, which is between microwave and radiowave frequencies. This radiation comes into the non-ionising category. Ionising radiation can damage or alter DNA cells. Non-ionising radiation does not have the right frequency to do that.
Scientists do not know the theory behind why mobiles phones may have these cancerous effects. Professor Lawrie Challis says, “The fact that we haven’t got a mechanism… doesn’t mean there isn’t one.” [10] He admits that there is currently no scientific theory which proves why this radiation could damage cells.
This argument has strong points, which prove its factuality. However, these points are only proven because points against them cannot be proven. It is true that there is no scientific explanation for why mobile phones radiation may affect DNA cells, but there is always research going on and new discoveries are made often; a new discovery explaining the science behind this theory may be found.
Conclusion
There are many arguments on both sides of the question. There are correlations showing a small link between mobile phone use after ten years and contracting a brain tumour. There is also evidence proving that mobile phone use on one side of the head more than the other can increase the risk of having a brain tumour, on the side of the head where a phone is mostly used. But there are limitations to these arguments. The current studies only show a small hint of a possible correlation after the phone has been used for ten years. It is thought that people with a brain tumour, when interviewed, will say that they used their phone most often on the side that they have the brain tumours. There is also the fact that there is no scientific evidence to explain why mobile phones radiation could be harmful. I believe that the benefits of mobile phones outweigh in currently known risks. I think that until further research is done, people should still be aware that there is a possibility of their mobile phones being harmful to them. I would encourage people to use their mobile phones to text rather than phone and to use a headset for calls if possible as this would reduce the amount of radiation absorbed into their head. Professor Johansen says, “We won't be able to make any firm conclusions on this issue until we can confirm these results with studies with more long-term and heavy cell-phone users.” [16] I think that people should bear this quote in mind and not cease mobile phones use entirely but attempt to use their phones in a safer way.
