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– “Does Cell-Phone Radiation Cause Cancer?”
“As the debate over cell-phone radiation heats up, consumers deserve answers to whether there’s a cancer connection”

“D oes radiation from cell phones cause brain cancer—or doesn’t it?

Researchers investigating that question have gone back and forth over the years, a game of scientific pingpong that has divided the medical community and cell-phone users into two camps: those who think we should stop worrying so much about cell-phone radiation, and others who think that there’s enough evidence to warrant some cautionary advice.

Most Americans fall squarely on the “don’t worry” side. In a recent nationally representative Consumer Reports survey of 1,000 adults, only 5 percent said they were very concerned about the radiation from cell phones, and less than half took steps to limit their exposure to it.”

“But not everyone is unconcerned. In May 2015, a group of 190 independent scientists from 39 countries, who in total have written more than 2,000 papers on the topic, called on the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and national governments to develop stricter controls on cell-phone radiation. They point to growing research—as well as the classification of cell-phone radiation as a possible carcinogen in 2011 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the WHO—suggesting that the low levels of radiation from cell phones could have potentially cancer-causing effects.”

[Issues covered in this report.]
“What Is Cell-Phone Radiation, Anyway?”

“How Could the Radiation From Cell Phones Cause Cancer?

“What Do Cancer Studies in Human Populations Show?”

“Are Today’s Phones Safer?”

“So Should I Stop Using My Cell Phone?”

“A Call for Clarity”
The substantial questions raised regarding cell phones deserve some clear answers:
• The Federal Communications Commission’s cell-phone radiation test is based on the devices’ possible effect on large adults, though research suggests that children’s thinner skulls mean they may absorb more radiation.

• Consumer Reports agrees with concerns raised by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Government Accountability Office about the tests, and thinks that new tests should be developed that take into account the potential vulnerability of children.

• We think that cell-phone manufacturers should prominently display advice on steps that cell-phone users can take to reduce exposure to cell-phone radiation.”
By David Schipper, Consumer Reports.
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