MWA #1 and #2

Jonathan Shepherd

Professor Goff

Wednesday July 2, 2014

Annotated Bibliography

“Cellular Phones.” Cellular Phones. American Cancer Society, n.d. Web. 9 July 2014. <http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/cellular-phones>.

This is an Article that was published by the American Cancer Society. It states that cell phones do emit low grade radiation but are not considered a definite carcinogen by the medical community. It talks about many studies such as the INTERPHONE study. It also establishes that cordless home phones are also not believed to be carcinogens.

“Cell Phones and Cancer Risk.” National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute , n.d. Web. 9 July 2014. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones>.

This document was published by the National Cancer Institute and it talks about whether cell phones are considered to be carcinogens. It also talks more about how cell phones emit radiation through the antennas of the phone. Overall the site says that cell phones are not considered carcinogenic.

Durkin, Claire. “Cell Phones and Cancer.” Cell Phones and Cancer. N.p., 11 June 2012. Web. 9 July 2014. <http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2012/ph250/durkin2/>.

This paper stated that while epidemiology may suggest that cell phones cause cancer physics says otherwise. The author of this article is not an expert in the field though so the findings may be bias. So overall this paper said that cell phones can’t literally cause cancer due to physics.

Glazer, Sarah. “Cell Phone Safety.” CQ Researcher 11: 201-224. Web. 7 July 2014.

This article discussed two main topics associated with “Cell Phone Safety”, driving with them and as possible health hazards. This article talked about a study that was conducted in Denmark to test cell phones as possible carcinogens, but again results were inconclusive.

Hours, M. “Cell Phones and Risk of brain and acoustic nerve tumours: the French INTERPHONE case-control study.” Revue d'epidemiologie et de sante publiqu 55.5 (2007): 321-332. Web. 6 July 2014.

This is an article about the INTERPHONE study, which is a study that was conducted in France about cell phones and their link to cancer. The findings of the study determined that for the mild cell phone user there were no significant increases in brain tumors. In the heavy cell phone users they found a slight increase in brain tumor occurrences.

Moynihan, Timothy . “Is there any link between cellphones and cancer.” Cellphones and cancer: What's the risk?. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 9 July 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/expert-answers/cell-phones-and-cancer/faq-20057798>.

This article discusses whether people should be concerned about cell phones as carcinogens. Again it says that the data is disputable but warns against high cell phone usage. The author is an oncologist so his opinion is an educated one.

Vini G. Khurana, Charles Teo, Michael Kundi, Lennart Hardell, Michael Carlberg, “Cell phones and brain tumors: a review including the long-term epidemiologic data”, Surgical Neurology 72: 205-214. Web. 8 July 2014.

This was an article talking about a study that was conducted by the above authors regarding cell phones and brain tumors. These doctors found that cell phones could cause brain tumors especially on the side of your head you talk on the phone with. Also they found that long term cell phone use could be another possible reason for brain tumors.





Jonathan Shepherd

Professor Goff

Monday, July 28, 2014

Literature Review

My topic discusses whether cell phones can be considered a carcinogen. Now what that means is, if cell phones do indeed cause cancer. This argument has been raging ever since cell phones were widely introduced into the public. Many scientists think that the low amounts of radiation coming off the antenna of the phone may in fact cause cancer. While opinions widely vary there are three main groups in this argument.

The first group is those who believe that cell phones cause you to get cancer. Now to clarify the meaning of that it means that cell phones give you cancer. While the second group believes that it could cause you to develop cancer. The difference between the two groups is very small the first simply believes that cell phones make you more likely to develop cancer. While the second group believes that it may cause you to develop cancer. The last group believes that cell phones have no relation to weather you will have cancer. These varying opinions have caused many studies to be conducted and many articles to be published concerning this subject matter.

In one article published by the American Cancer Society it discusses if cell phones cause cancer. In their article they say that there is no consistent correlation between cell phone use and the development of cancer. They also say that at this time there is no health organization that believes it causes cancer, but a few do consider it possibly carcinogenic.

Also the Mayo Clinic has an article written by Timothy J. Moynihan. In this he also states that while several studies have been conducted concerning cancer and cell phones, there hasn’t been enough evidence in the studies to give a definite answer either way. As for a little background on why people believe cell phones may cause cancer it is due to the knowledge that radiation causes cancer. Now the difference is that while an x-ray without protection will make you more likely to have cancer a phone antenna since it is low frequency radiation shouldn’t. Still some believe that due to the proximity of the radiation and due to the constant presence of the radiation that they can cause cancer.

Now other studies conducted by outside sources disagree with these large organizations beliefs. In a study conducted by Vini G. Khurana in Australia they found that cell phones do in fact increase your likelihood of developing cancer. In their study they found that people who had used a cell phone for more than 10 years were almost twice as likely to develop a brain tumor. While the WHO and other worldwide organizations still don’t know if cell phones are carcinogenic.

Now there have been other study’s conducted that agree with Vini Khurana’s findings and one of them is the INTERPHONE study. This particular study was conducted in France, in it they found that while cell phone use in general didn’t make you more likely to get cancer if you were a heavy user your chances increased. These two studies fall in the second group which is the group that believes cell phones could be carcinogenic. Overall most of the medical community falls into the second or third groups.

Many studies have been conducted by many professionals including Lennart Hardell, Fredrik Söderqvist, David Savitz, James Lin, Helle Collatz Chistensen and many others. They all say that while cell phones may increase your risk for cancer it will not give you cancer. So overall there are only two main groups in this argument the ones that believe that cell phones can increase your risk for cancer and those who believe that it doesn’t. Right now though there is no definite answer to the question of “Do cell phones cause cancer?”

Works Cited

Auvinen, Anssi, Tim Toivo, and Kari Tokola. “Epidemiological risk assessment of mobile phones and cancer: where can we improve?.” European journal of cancer prevention 15.6 (2006): 516-523.

“Cellular Phones.” Cellular Phones. American Cancer Society, n.d. Web. 9 July 2014. <http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/cellular-phones>.

“Cell Phones and Cancer Risk.” National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute , n.d. Web. 9 July 2014. <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones>.

Christensen, Helle Collatz, et al. “Cellular telephone use and risk of acoustic neuroma.” American journal of epidemiology 159.3 (2004): 277-283.

Deorah, Sundeep, et al. “Trends in brain cancer incidence and survival in the United States: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program, 1973 to 2001.” Neurosurgical focus 20.4 (2006): E1.

Durkin, Claire. “Cell Phones and Cancer.” Cell Phones and Cancer. N.p., 11 June 2012. Web. 9 July 2014. <http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2012/ph250/durkin2/>.

Glazer, Sarah. “Cell Phone Safety.” CQ Researcher 11: 201-224. Web. 7 July 2014.

Hardell, Lennart, Michael Carlberg, and Kjell Hansson Mild. “Use of mobile phones and cordless phones is associated with increased risk for glioma and acoustic neuroma.” Pathophysiology 20.2 (2013): 85-110.

Hours, M. “Cell Phones and Risk of brain and acoustic nerve tumours: the French INTERPHONE case-control study.” Revue d'epidemiologie et de sante publiqu 55.5 (2007): 321-332. Web. 6 July 2014.

Lin, James C. “Health effects: the blood-brain barrier, cancer, cell phones, and microwave radiation.” Microwave Magazine, IEEE 2.4 (2001): 26-30.

Moulder, JE . “International Journal of Radiation Biology.” Mobile phones, mobile phone base stations and cancer: a review, , Informa Healthcare. International Journal of Radiation Biology, n.d. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09553000500091097>.

Moynihan, Timothy . “Is there any link between cellphones and cancer.” Cellphones and cancer: What's the risk?. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 9 July 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/expert-answers/cell-phones-and-cancer/faq-20057798>.

Muscat, Joshua E., et al. “Handheld cellular telephone use and risk of brain cancer.” Jama 284.23 (2000): 3001-3007.

Savitz, David A. “Mixed signals on cell phones and cancer.” Epidemiology 15.6 (2004): 651-652.

Söderqvist, Fredrik, et al. “Childhood brain tumour risk and its association with wireless phones: a commentary.” Environ Health 10.1 (2011): 106.

Vini G. Khurana, Charles Teo, Michael Kundi, Lennart Hardell, Michael Carlberg, “Cell phones and brain tumors: a review including the long-term epidemiologic data”, Surgical Neurology 72: 205-214. Web. 8 July 2014.