Larry
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Scientific evidence is inconclusive as to whether cell phones cause cancer or not. Different people give different answers, and definitive studies have not had enough time to be completed. In 2008, the director of the Cancer Institute at the University of Pittsburgh released a memo warning staff to limit cell phone use to reduce exposure to dangerous radiation that could cause brain cancer. In response, a congressional panel was formed to study the danger. An official of the National Cancer Institute told the panel that cell phones are completely safe.
Scientists on both sides of the issue have gotten into heated fights at public hearings over the cell phone debate. Some say cell phones are safe because they use non-ionizing radiation instead of the ionizing radiation of x-rays and other radioactive material. This argument is countered by the fact that although non-ionizing radiation may not be harmful in the short-term, long-term exposure can cause damage. Three studies are cited that show people who have used cell phones for over ten years have higher rates of brain tumors on the side of their head that they hold the cell phone to. The average worldwide rate of brain tumor development in men is one in 29,000, and the rate for women is one in 38,000, which translates to .206 percent and .156 percent, respectively. For those who have used cell phones for over ten years, the rates leap three fold to .621 percent of men and .468 percent of women.
The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention say that the average time it takes to develop cancer is 15 to 20 years after exposure to the cancer-causing agent. This means that the 10 years of the studies so far cannot be considered conclusive. It will take 5 to 10 more years of study to know for sure. In the meantime, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
 Posted 5340 day ago
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