Below I have posted a round up of stories on the recent news from WHO on the increased risk of gliomas tied to heavy cell phone use.
This issue is obviously still completely unsettled.
As I have written before, I have no doubt about the effect of low energy electro-magnetic (E-M) radiation on the human brain since we have such powerful results using infinitesimal E-M as a carrier for our LENS treatment. We just don’t know how powerful are those cell phone effects, or whether they are cancer-inducing in the glial cells that tend to transmission of neuronal information (glial cells present a fascinating topic on its own).
LENS is an acronym for Low Energy Neurofeedback System. In a future post, I will write about some biological systems that are known to utilize extremely low level electromagnetic radiation.
Cell phones emit radiation 10s of thousands of times stronger than the carrier waves we use in LENS treatment for ADHD, closed head injuries, stroke rehabilitation, anxiety, OCD, autism, and many other neuro-psychiatric conditions. Additionally, of course, we not only use much less intense EM power, we only utilize it for a very brief time–from a few seconds to a few minutes of actual LENS neurofeedback in a typical 50 minute treatment session.
I follow it up with a short blog piece from psychiatrist Eitan D. Schwarz MD, who advocates some common sense caution, particularly for children…
International Panel Of Experts Categorizes Cell Phones As “Possibly Carcinogenic.”
ABC World News (5/31, lead story, 3:10, Sawyer) reported, “An important new alert about the safety of cell phones and the possible risk of cancer, brain cancer in particular…comes from the World Health Organization.” NBC Nightly News (5/31, lead story, 3:10, Williams) reported, the WHO “statement labeling cell phones as a possible carcinogenic hazard comes from a panel of 31 scientists.”
According to the AP (6/1, Cheng), the statement was “issued in Lyon, France, on Tuesday by the International Agency for Research on Cancer” (IARC) after a “weeklong meeting” during which experts reviewed “possible links between cancer and the type of electromagnetic radiation found in cellphones, microwaves and radar.” The IARC classified cellphones in “category 2B, meaning they are possibly carcinogenic” to humans. The assessment now “goes to WHO and national health agencies for possible guidance on cellphone use.”
The Wall Street Journal (6/1, Martin, Hobson, Subscription Publication) reports that the IARC working group did not conduct new research. Instead, the panel reviewed existing literature that focused on the health effects of radio frequency magnetic fields. Its findings are slated to be published July 1 in Lancet Oncology.
The New York Times (5/31, Parker-Pope, Barringer, Subscription Publication) “Well” blog noted that the panel’s decision to “classify cellphones as ‘possibly carcinogenic’ was based largely on epidemiological data showing an increased risk among heavy cellphone users of a rare type of brain tumor called a glioma.” Most “major medical groups,” including the National Cancer Institute, have “said the existing data on cellphones and health has been reassuring.” Earlier this year, the Journal of the American Medical Association “reported on research from the National Institutes of Health, which found that less than an hour of cellphone use can speed up brain activity in the area closest to the phone antenna.”
The Los Angeles Times (6/1, Roan, Gabler) reports that a 2010 study (pdf) published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found a “40% increase risk of gliomas for people who used a cellphone an average of 30 minutes a day over a 10-year period.”Bloomberg News (5/31, Kresge) and the CBS Evening News (5/31, lead story, 2:50, Smith) also covered the story.
The Blog of Dr. S.
Cellphones and living brains should probably not be placed too close to one another, according to a panel of World Health Organization experts. If the laws of physics hold, the threat is even greater to youngsters, whose skulls, separating their tender brains from the live microwave antenna at their ears, are thinner.
While this issue is controversial, why take a chance?
More broadly, but seemingly less sensational, a growing body of actual evidence about the explosive consumption of media dumbing down our kids, injuring family life and other relationships, and contributing to kids’ obesity is at least just as alarming and has actually been demonstrated in recent studies.
Bottom line: Just as parents must start instilling good cell-phone habits to try to prevent later brain cancer in their children, they should also stop giving unsupervised children access to the Internet, social media, videogames, smartphones, and tablets.
If you must give your child a cell phone, please keep it away from his ear. Encourage use at a distance through texting and using the loudspeaker and ear piece to lessen the risk of radiation damage. Similarly, and more importantly IMHO, introduce your child to tech devices thoughtfully and carefully, stay involved, and find ways to maximize the benefits of technology.