Wednesday Sept 7, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- Many users of cell phones (or mobile phones as called by Europeans) might have known that exposure to cell phone radiation for a long term can increase risk of brain cancer called glioma, an aggressive brain tumor that gives patients one to three years to live after diagnosis.

Exposure to cell phone radiation actually also cause many other diseases and health conditions including blood-brain barrier hearing nerve tumors (acoustic neuroma), salivary gland tumors, thyroid cancer, melanoma, stem cell cancer, parotic malignant tumors, lymph node cancer, eye tumors, leukemia, breast cancer, sperm damage and testicular cancer among others.

Radio frequency electromagnetic radiation emitted from devices like cell phones was recognized in 2011 by World Health Organization's Internaiton Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 2B possible human carcinogen.  This classification was based on studies of risk of brain cancer and hearing nerve tumor from cellphone RFR radiation.  In 2001, this agency also classified electricity’s magnetic fields (ELF MF) as a Group 2B (possible human carcinogen) based on the studies linking exposure to ELF MF to elevated risk of leukemia and brain tumors.

L. Lloyd Morgan, Sr. Research Fellow at Environmental Health Trust has recently summarized the studies that associated exposure to cell phone radiation to various diseases including brain cancers and many other diseases.  Also a report published on the Truth About Cancer website claims many associations between cell phone use and many diseases.

Those who want to reduce exposure to cell phone radiation may consider the following:

1) Do not use cell phones whenever possible.  

2) If you have to use a cell phone, use a Samsung smart phone, which emits much lower radiation than many other brands like iphone and Motorola.

3) Avoid using cell phones in areas or location such as rural areas, cars, elevators and trains where the signal is weak. 

4) Do not carry cell phones with power switch on. Do not keep cellphone in bedroom at night.

5) Do not reside near cell towers.  Keep away from WI-Fi routers.

6) Parents should not use any baby monitor, children should not use wireless or remote controlled toys.  Teenagers or younger kids should not use smartphones.  The cell phone radiation is particularly harmful to children.

7) When talking on the phone, keep your cell phone as far away from your head as possible.  If you can text, then do not talk on the phone.

8) Use a lot of antioxidant supplements such as ascorbic acid or vitamin C to neutralize the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the cell phone radiation. ROS can damage the DNA and cause cancer.