A recent analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that there is no established link between smartphone use and brain cancer.
For years, concerns have been raised about the potential health risks posed by radiation emitted from mobile devices. In 2011, the WHO’s cancer research agency categorized this radiation as “possibly carcinogenic” to humans.
However, a new study based on research dating back to 1994 has found no direct connection between cellphone usage and cancer, even among individuals who frequently use their devices for extended periods.
Importantly, the rate of brain cancer diagnoses has not risen despite the growing use of mobile phones.
The study examined potential links between exposure to radiofrequency waves from devices such as mobile phones, baby monitors, and televisions, and the occurrence of brain tumors, salivary gland tumors, and leukemia.
A group of 11 researchers from 10 different countries, including Australia’s radiation protection authority, reviewed 63 studies published between 1994 and 2022.
Their findings indicated that while the use of wireless technology has significantly increased over the years, there has been no corresponding rise in cancer cases.
This was true even for individuals who had been using mobile phones for over a decade or who regularly engage in lengthy phone conversations.
Mark Elwood, a professor of cancer epidemiology at the University of Auckland and co-author of the study, noted that none of the key research findings suggested any elevated risk of cancer.
The findings align with previous reviews by the WHO and other global health organizations, which have similarly concluded that there is insufficient evidence to definitively link mobile phone radiation to health risks, while still calling for continued research in the field.
