Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of our life. We cannot remain a minute without mobile phones. Not only we use them to call and text, there are a lot of other uses of them also. A mobile phone is used for internet surfing, taking high-quality pictures and videos. It is also used as a personal organizer and game console. But, it is also doing a lot of harm to our health. There is also a possibility that mobile phone radiation can cause cancer. An oncologist can tell you much more about this.

Risks of cancer

A form of electromagnetic field, which is called radio frequency (RF) radiation, is emitted from mobile phones. It was believed for long times that because of the low power levels involved and because it is non-ionizing, this radiation causes no harm. But, the fact is that cell phone radiation has the ability to penetrate human bodies and cause untold damage. It was classified by WHO in the year 2011 that mobile phone radiation is a possible 2B carcinogen.

Mobile phones and brain cancer

Mobile phone radiation is linked to many serious illnesses in a number of studies. Two types of brain tumours, which are gliomas and acoustic neuromas are mainly linked to mobile phone radiation. If you want to know more about this, consult a cancer specialist.
Gliomas – These tumours are particularly malignant and deadly and start in the brain or spine. After the diagnosis of this kind of tumour, most people survive for only 1 to 3 years.

Acoustic neuromas – They are an intracranial (within the skull) tumour and in many cases life-threatening though they are non-malignant (low-grade cancer).

According to Interphone Study, with 1640 hours or more of use, the risk of gliomas can significantly increase by 40% on regular use of mobile phone by adults. This is equal to about 30 minutes per day over ten years.

Mobile phones and other cancers

To know whether or not mobile phones cause cancer, multiple studies have been conducted. Mobile phone radiation exposure has been linked to many other types of cancer other than brain cancer by these studies. More information about these cancers can be obtained from an oncologist. These cancers include the following:

  • Cancer of the Pituitary Gland

  • Thyroid Cancer

  • Melanoma Risk

  • Stem Cell Cancer

  • Parotid Malignant Tumours

  • Leukemia

  • Lymph Node Cancer

  • Multifocal Breast Cancer

  • Eye Cancer

Exposure to radio frequency waves

The antenna of a mobile phone is from where the radio frequency waves generate. The waves get weak as they travel away from the mobile phone and they are strongest at the antenna. When using, the mobile phone is typically held against the side of the head. More energy is absorbed by the body tissues closest to the mobile phone than the tissues that are further away.
The amount of radio frequency energy to which a person is exposed is affected by many factors, which include:

  • The duration of a mobile phone used by a person.

  • The speaker of the mobile phone or a hands-free device is used so that it can be held away from the head.

  • The nearest mobile phone tower’s distance and the path to it. The mobile phone requires more energy to get a good signal if it is far away from the tower or it is inside a building.

  • At that time what is the particular mobile phone traffic in that area? A mobile phone may require more energy to get a good signal if there is higher traffic.

  • The mobile phone used by one is of which model. Different amounts of energy are emitted by different mobile phones.

Specific absorption rate (SAR)

Specific absorption rate (SAR) is the amount of radio frequency energy absorbed by the user’s body from the mobile phone. There are different SAR levels in different mobile phones