Study: Heavy cellphone use could lead to cancer

Jerusalem, July 30: Heavy cellphone users show increased risk factors for cancer, a new study on human saliva has claimed.

Scientists have long been worried about the possible harmful effects of regular cellular phone use, but studies so far have been largely inconclusive.

Researchers said currently, radio- frequency electromagnetic fields, such as those produced by cell phones, are classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans ( Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer ( IARC).

To further explore the relationship between cancer rates and cell phone use, Dr Yaniv Hamzany from Tel Aviv University and colleagues looked for clues in the saliva of cell phone users. Since the cell phone is placed close to the salivary gland when in use, researchers hypothesised that salivary content could reveal whether there was a connection to developing cancer.

Comparing heavy mobile phone users to non- users, they found that the saliva of heavy users showed indications of higher oxidative stress — a process that damages all aspects of a human cell, including DNA — through the development of toxic peroxide and free radicals.

More importantly, it is considered a major risk factor for cancer.

Researchers examined the saliva content of 20 heavy- user patients, defined as speaking on their phones for a minimum of eight hours a month.