Myth vs Fact: The use of Smartphones and the risk for brain tumors

Myth vs Fact: The use of Smartphones and the risk for brain tumors

The debate about cell phones "smartphones" and whether the radiofrequency they emit can cause health risks to users has become tense in recent days.

Leading smartphone makers, Apple and Samsung have been hit with a class action lawsuit over claims that their cell phones expose users to radio frequency emissions much stronger than limits set by the US government.

Smartphones emit a form of energy known as radio frequency waves. At very high levels, these types of emissions can heat the body's tissues. However, the levels emitted by mobile phones are much lower and not enough to raise body temperatures, according to the American Cancer Society. No public health organization has been able to link cell phone use to cancer or other serious ailments. However, myths persist about regular cell phone use and the potential increased risk of developing a brain tumor.

The US The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency that oversees the cell phone industry, says on its website that if a cell phone has been approved for sale, the device "will never exceed" the maximum allowable exposure limit. However, a report by the Chicago Tribune found that popular smartphones exceed the maximum limit for exposure to radio frequency emissions that has been dictated by the FCC at various distances. In response, the FCC says it will conduct its own tests on smartphones.

"Overall, if you look at the data that's been collected, there's no increased risk for brain tumors associated with cell phone use," says M.D., deputy director and chief of radiation oncology at Miami Cancer Institute. "There are more than a dozen studies in the literature that show no indication of an increased risk for brain tumors with cell phone use."