No link found between brain cancer and cell phone use, experts say

November 9, 2022 – Concerns about a possible link between cell phones and brain cancer—a hot topic in the news 5 to 10 years ago—have all but disappeared in recent years. Experts say this is simply because a number of large studies have found no real evidence of such a link.

“I think that we can make a policy or public health decision that cell phones don’t cause cancer based on the summary of the evidence,” said Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Timothy Rebbeck in an October 20, 2022 MedPage Today article. Rebbeck, Vincent L. Gregory, Jr. Professor of Cancer Prevention and director of the Zhu Family Center for Global Cancer Prevention, acknowledged that there are limitations with large human studies, but said that experts view the issue regarding cell phones and brain cancer as largely settled. “My take on it is, when you get to a certain level of human data … the risk that might be conferred by cell phone use is so small,” he said.

For those interested in reducing their cancer risk, it’s important to focus on proven risks, such as smoking, Rebbeck said. He encouraged people to take preventive measures such as cancer screenings and vaccinations. “If you’re worried about cancer, there are many other things that you can do to reduce your cancer risk that are real,” he said.

Read the MedPage Today article: Should We Still Be Concerned About Cell Phones and Brain Cancer?

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