MWA #3

So my conclusion post wasn't may last post here is my final assignment my argument essay

Jonathan Shepherd

Argument Essay

Professor Goff

August 11, 2014

There has long been a debate about whether cell phones cause cancer? I personally believe that they do not mainly due to the many studies that agree with me. There are many carcinogens in the world but I personally believe that a cell phone isn’t one of them. You have cigarettes that cause cancer because they constantly irritate the lungs. You also have radiation which in large amounts has been found to cause cancer. The reason people believe that cell phones cause cancer is because of the small amount of radiation that is put off by the antenna of the phone. This is considered low-grade radiation but some believe that since people are constantly on their phones it makes them more likely to have cancer.

No large scale health organization to date believes that cell phones give you cancer. Some however believe that cell phones may make you more likely to get cancer, in particular brain tumors. To understand this you must first understand cancer as the terrible condition it is. Cancer isn’t like chicken pox where you can be fine one day and then you drink some of your friend’s soup and then you have it. Cancer is your body rapidly dividing cells for basically no good reason it is believed to be caused by the body’s genetic code becoming almost confused. So some people believe that this radiation could cause your body to “get” cancer. They believe that the low grade radiation will eventually cause your body’s genetic code to be altered therefore giving you cancer.

Some then may wonder why radiation is given to cancer patients to treat the disease. It is because radiation kills rapidly dividing cells and this in turn kills cancerous cells. So radiation isn’t always a bad thing when it comes to cancer. Now one reason that I believe it is not a factor that causes cancer is because there have been many studies that prove even the physics behind the idea that radiation can get through the skull. Therefore I feel it is a hard thing to be able to consider radiation a factor in causing brain tumors due to the physics involving the skull.

Lastly there have been many studies about cell phone use and cancer. They have conducted research in which they have given people cell phones and recorded the instances in which they have ended up with cancer. The results have been very inconclusive which means that scientists really don’t know whether cell phones do cause cancer or not. In these studies they found that for the average user the risk doesn’t really increase while for the heavy users it may increase.

So overall the many studies and professional opinions are very inconclusive on whether cell phones should be considered carcinogens. As for me I personally believe that if you aren’t constantly on the phone you will be able to avoid many health problems including cancer. As for the idea that talking on the phone every now and then will give you cancer is baseless claim. So overall we will never really be able to know whether cell phones are a carcinogen until we are able to truly understand cancer as a disease. So I am agreeing with the WHO for now which lists cell phones as “possible carcinogens”.

Works Cited

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Works Consulted

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Kohler, Betsy A., et al. "Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975–2007, featuring tumors of the brain and other nervous system." Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2011).

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