Cellphones and Cancer - Essay Example

Over the past few decades technology has been changing rapidly and different controversial issues have arisen due to this. Cellphones have almost become a basic need for communication all over the world, and different controversial claims in relation to the use of cellphones have emerged. The relationship between the use of cellphones and cancer has raised to alarming rates. Different research has been conducted so as to figure out the truth behind these accusations. There are three main reasons where the public is concerned that the cellphones may have a potential cause of certain types of cancer; the cell phones emit a radiofrequency which is a form of non-ionizing radiation from the cell phone's antennas. The tissues of the body close to these antennas absorb the radio waves and mostly the ears which are particularly close to the brain (Oliver & Wood, 2014). The other reason id the number of cell phone calls per day, the duration people use the phones constantly increasing as well as the length of these phone calls people make daily. The cell phones have a power output which is increasing as the use increases hence this may pose a problem with time. Finally, the number of cellphone users has increased over the past decade at an alarming rate.

Different research has been carried out to try and find out any relationship between the use of cell phones and cancer. Exposer to ionizing radiations such as x-rays has been known to increase the risk of cancer. As seen these frequencies are emitted by the cellphone antennas, but different studies have been carried out to find out whether these radio frequencies are by any chance increasing the risk of cancer. Inconsistent results have been seen hence no accurate information has been given (Feldman, 2016). The radiofrequency exposure from the phone does not cause any heat to the areas of the body that are exposed to the antenna and no other clearly established effects on the body from the radio frequency.

Radio frequency has been suggested to have an effect on the glucose metabolism, but two studies conducted to examine the brain glucose metabolism after the use of cell phones for different users showed inconsistent results as well. One of the studies showed an increase in the glucose metabolism in the brain region where the antenna was close to as compared to the other brain tissues where the antenna was away from (Leung, 2014). The other study showed a reduced glucose metabolism in the tissues on the side the antenna was as compared the others side.

Researchers have carried out several epidemiologic studies trying to investigate the possibility of any relationship between cell phone use and the risk of malignant brain tumors such as the gliomas(cancerous). In one study which was referred to as the Case-Control study, cell phone use was compared between people with the tumors with other subjects who had no tumor. The other study was referred to as the cohort study where a large group of study subject with no cancer at study entry is observed and studied over time and the rate of the tumors among the subject of who did and did not use cell phones (Kesari et al., 2013). Both studies gave inconsistent data hence nullifying the connection between the use of mobile phone and the risk of cancer. All the different research implies fewer associations between the use of cell phones and the risk of cancer.

Although other research has yielded different results. The Interphone study which was conducted to study the relationship between cell phone use and risk of head and neck tumors. The study showed that different users use cell phones more than the others and from the study, a small portion of the study subject who used the cellphones a lot were more prone to the brain tumor (Lagorio & Roosli, 2014). The study showed that one was at risk more depending on how much they use their mobile phones. This information was inconsistent as per the researcher since the amount of use of the mobile phones by the subjects was unlikely.

An analysis of data from the NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program which evaluated the rends of cancer incidences in the US between the year 1992 2006. The analysis showed that there was no increase in the incidences of brain cancer in the country despite the increase in the use of mobile phones in the country. From the analysis of this data, it appears that there is no connection between the two (Hardell, 2017). And in the year 2012 NCIs researchers conducted an observation trying to analyze the incidences rates of glioma in the USA, and the incidences seemed to have no relation to the use of cell phones. Although a small risk was identified among the heaviest cell phone users.

The different studies carried out have shown less connection between cell phone use and risk to cancer. It is possible to say that the use of cell phones has no risk to cancer although from a particular study extensive use of the cell phone can lead to the problem. Different controversial information has been circulating, but the different studies conducted have yielded inconsistent data hence nullifying these accusations and assumptions. The use of cell phones has no exposure to cancer.

References

Feldman, B. J. (2016). Possible Explanation for Cancer in Rats due to Cell Phone Radio Frequency Radiation. arXiv preprint arXiv:1608.01936.

Hardell, L. (2017). Effects of Mobile Phones on Children's and Adolescents Health: A Commentary. Child Development.

Kesari, K. K., Siddiqui, M., Meena, R., Verma, H. N., & Kumar, S. (2013). Cell phone radiation exposure on brain and associated biological systems.

Lagorio, S., & Roosli, M. (2014). Mobile phone use and risk of intracranial tumors: a consistency analysis. Bioelectromagnetics, 35(2), 79-90.

Leung, K. (2014). Epigenetic study of methylation changes in rat astrocytes caused by cellular phone exposure.

Oliver, J. E., & Wood, T. (2014). Medical conspiracy theories and health behaviors in the United States. JAMA internal medicine, 174(5), 817-818.