Ugh. Doctors everywhere next week are going to have to field questions about this cell-phone study, which contradicts almost every other report and notes a link between mobiles and brain tumors:
The Dutch Health Council, in an overview of research from around the world, last year found no evidence radiation from mobile phones and TV towers was harmful. A four-year British survey released in January showed no link between regular, long-term use of cell phones and the most common type of tumor.
However, researchers at the Swedish National Institute for Working Life said they looked at the mobile phone use of 905 people between the age of 20 and 80 who had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and found a link.
“A total 85 of these 905 cases were so-called high users of mobile phones, that is they began early to use mobile and, or wireless telephones and used them a lot,” the study said.
“The study also shows that the rise in risk is noticeable for tumors on the side of the head where the phone was said to be used,” it added.
The Swedes adopted cell phones before the rest of us, but then again, older analog phones had a habit of stopping ventilators and causing planes to fall from the sky (new ones don’t).
And it’s worth noting: when it comes to cancer and radiation, we have never seen a Swedish study that didn’t find a link.
A good overview of the cell phone / cancer controversy is available at Wikipedia.