Does cell phone cause cancer? Debunking myths

The first mobile phones were created in the 1950s, weighing then 40 kg and costing as much as cars. Today they fit in your pocket, and their price is much lower, thanks to which they have become more accessible — both adults and teenagers have them. Due to the development of technology, not only their size has changed, but also their functionality. Some people have doubts about the way cell phones work. Particular attention in this topic is given to their alleged harmfulness and carcinogenicity. However, is it really necessary to worry about it?

How does a mobile phone work?

Why should a cell phone actually pose a health risk? The main reason that is questionable is how they work. Mobile phones emit energy in the form of RF radio waves. Thanks to them, they send and receive signals from the base station, i.e., the cell tower. RF waves fall on the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and microwaves. Like them, FM waves are a form of non-ionizing radiation.

Does phone radiation cause cancer?

The non-ionizing radiation emitted by cell phones is safe. It does not have enough energy to damage the DNA of cells, which could cause cancer to develop. RF waves are the opposite of ionizing radiation — gamma radiation, UV radiation, or X-ray radiation. A dose of such radiation can break down DNA, which in turn can contribute to the development of cancerous cells.

Can a cell phone cause cancer?

A very large dose of RF wave can increase tissue temperature. Fortunately, the energy levels emitted by mobile phones are very low and cannot do this.

The source of RF waves in a mobile phone is the antenna in which they achieve the greatest strength. As you move away from the source, the waves become weaker and weaker. Cell phones are usually held close to the head during phone calls, which means that the tissues closest to the antenna are most exposed to waves.

The amount of RF energy emitted and absorbed by tissues depends on the following factors:

• Telephone conversation time — the longer the time, the longer the exposure to radiofrequency waves;
• The distance the phone is held — the farther away from the body, the less exposure;
• Distance to the nearest telephone tower — telephones work to optimize power consumption when receiving signals, therefore the farther the distance from the tower, the more energy is needed to get the right signal;
• Number of telephone users at the time — a high load on the telephone network may mean that it will be necessary for a cellphone to use more energy to obtain a good signal;
• Cellphone model — each model works slightly differently, depending on the design, the amount of energy produced may vary.

Cell phones linked to cancer?

The concern arose because of a noticeable increase in the incidence of brain tumors, which was imputed to cell phones. In fact, there could be many reasons for this. One of them was certainly better access to medical care and technological progress in diagnostic imaging. These two factors make cancer diagnosis easier. Therefore, more cases can be reported.

Research on the relationship between cell phones and cancer has been conducted for many years. The results obtained so far have not provided clear answers, and in some cases the conclusions have turned out to be contradictory. Currently, the harmfulness of the radiation emitted by mobile phones has not been confirmed.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified radio waves in group 2B in 2013 as potentially carcinogenic to humans.

Can sleeping with your phone cause cancer?

While there is no clear evidence confirming (or contradicting it) the harmfulness of radiofrequency waves emitted by cellphones, it is worth minimizing the time of exposure to them. Sleeping with the phone close to your head is not the best idea. For the time of sleep, it is worth putting the phone aside, preferably at your fingertips, so turning off the alarm in the morning is not a problem.