Factcheck this: A person who uses their cell phone a lot is more likely to develop cancer or a tumor.

Question

There is a lot of wishy washy statements online about this. Some say it can contribute to cancer but not likely, while others say it can't at all, and some say it can. Phones do give off some sort of radiation, but is that enough to truly lead to cancer or a brain tumor? It's very difficult to find an answer to this.

Answer 1

As stated by experts in the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, and the FCC, there is currently no scientific evidence directly linking higher phone usage with developing cancer. 

"the European Commission Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks concluded that, overall, the epidemiologic studies on cell phone radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation exposure do not show an increased risk of brain tumors or of other cancers of the head and neck region (9). The committee also stated that epidemiologic studies do not indicate increased risk for other malignant diseases, including childhood cancer (9)."

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet#:~:text=The%20Federal%20Communications%20Commission%20(FCC,and%20cancer%20or%20other%20illnesses.

There are still studies being done on the long term effects, but from the research that has been done so far, scientists have not found that phone usage causes cancer or a higher risk for cancer. 

Comments

Nice job explaining your fact-check and adding a pertinent quote. Also, the FDA comes to a similar conclusion as you did regarding cell phones and cancer:

"Scientific studies: The FDA’s physicians, scientists, and engineers regularly analyze scientific studies and publications for evidence of health effects of exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phones. The weight of nearly 30 years of scientific evidence has not linked exposure to radio frequency energy from use of cell phones to health problems, such as cancer.

Public health data: The FDA also monitors and analyzes public health data on cancer rates in the U.S. population. The data clearly demonstrate no widespread rise in brain and other nervous system cancers in the last 30 years despite the enormous increase in cell phone use during this period. In fact, the rate of brain and other nervous system cancers diagnosed in United States has decreased for the last 15 years or so."

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/cell-phones/do-cell-phones-pose-health-hazard

Answer 2

You're right--there are a lot of, as you say, wishy washy statements on how cell phones may or may not cause cancer. The most helpful source I found was from the National Cancer Institute which says that, although the human body does absorb whatever low dose of radiation that cell phones emit, "There are no other clearly established dangerous health effects on the human body from radiofrequency radiation." This is because the dose given off by even 5G phones (a frequency of about 80 GHz) is far too low to damage DNA.

But, as cell phones have not been around for that long, we may not know long term effects. So, if it makes you feel comfortable, maybe don't hold your phone right up against your ear.

Answer 3

There's definitely some conflicting information out there about whether or not cell phones contribute to cancer risk. The FDA has said that "neither research results nor public health statistics have clearly shown that normal use of cellphones raises the risk of cancer." Additionally, though, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has said that the radiation from cell phones could "possibly" be a cancer-causing substance. These both come from an article published by WebMD.

Do Cell Phones Raise Your Risk of Cancer? (webmd.com)

3 separate large studies conducted about cancer and cell phone use were cited in a "fact sheet" published by the National Cancer Institute. The "Interphone" Case-Control study showed "no increases in brain or other central nervous system cancers related to higher amounts of cell phone use." The Danish cohort study showed "no associations" between cell phone use and many times of brain tumors. The "Million Women" cohort study did not see self-reported cell phone use associated with an increased risk of many types of tumors.

Cell Phones and Cancer Risk Fact Sheet - NCI

While different outlets have said some different things, it doesn't appear, as of the studies and data that have been collected now, that cell phone use leads people to be more likely to develop cancer or tumors.

Answer 4

This statement is misleading. From the National Cancer Institute (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet#:~:text=A%20few%20studies%20have%20shown,studies%20have%20found%20no%20association.)

I found the answer in an article published by the United States National Cancer Institute.  This website is run by the United States government and was most recently reviewed on March 10, 2022.  There have been studies that have shown results appearing to be an association between cell phone use and the development of cancer.  However, the results are inconsistent and no direct association has been found as of yet.  

National Cancer Institute (NIH) - A few studies have shown some evidence of statistical association of cell phone use and brain tumor risks in humans, but most studies have found no association.

The American Cancer Society’s cell phones pageExit Disclaimer states “It is not clear at this time that RF (radiofrequency) waves from cell phones cause dangerous health effects in people, but studies now being done should give a clearer picture of the possible health effects in the future.”

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) states that the weight of the current scientific evidence has not conclusively linked cell phone use with any adverse health problems, but more research is needed.

Answer 5

There are many sources that discuss possible connections between cell phone usage and cancer. However, multiple reputable agencies dismiss this claim as being false, based on current knowledge. 

According to the Food and Drug Administration, "To date, there is no consistent or credible scientific evidence of health problems caused by the exposure to radio frequency energy emitted by cell phones."

The American Cancer Society corroborates this information. Their website includes, "Cell phone use, even for more than 13 years, was not linked with an increased risk of brain tumors, salivary gland tumors, or cancer overall, nor was there a link with any brain tumor subtypes or with tumors in any location within the brain."

This particular long-term study did not reveal a connection between cell phones and cancer. However, with cell phones being relatively new, the passage of time and further studies may reveal new information. 

The American Cancer Society also states "Studies of people published so far have not established a clear link between cell phone use and the development of tumors. However, these studies have had some important limitations that make them unlikely to end the controversy about whether cell phone use affects cancer risk."

Sources:

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitting-products/cell-phones/scientific-evidence-cell-phone-safety

https://www.cancer.org/healthy/cancer-causes/radiation-exposure/cellular-phones.html