18 January 2009

Weekend Reading
Using Cell Phones Won't Increase Risk Eye Cancer

There are many studies out there that show that mobile phones causes symptoms like short-term memory loss, numbing, hearing loss, tingling, eye strain, burning sensations, bad sleep, fatigue, anxiety and may even increases the risk of brain cancer.

Fortunately, according to a new study published in the Jan. 13 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, using a mobile phone does not increase the risk of getting melanoma of the eye!

These small devices have the potential to accelerate the onset of computer vision syndrome as well as eyestrain but it is not associated with long-term consequences and there is no link between cell phone and eye cancer!

Andreas Stang, MD, of the Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg in Germany, and colleagues, examined the association between phone use and risk of uveal melanoma in 459 patients with uveal melanoma compared to people without uveal melanoma.

Past research has shown there is no link between exposure to radio waves, including those on a cell phone, and DNA changes that can lead to cancer, according to background information cited by the study.

However, studies addressing the possible link between use of cell phones and cancer continue to be performed.

This most recent study overrides an earlier study by the researchers involving only 118 participants with uveal melanoma. For that study, the exposure was only assessed if it was in the workplace. The findings at the time seemed to suggest a greater risk of uveal melanoma in people who used cell phones more often at work.