From this morning’s paper, a new study suggested that long term cell phone use increases the chance of developing gliomas (central nervous system tumors) by up to 40%. The study spanned five european countries, and focused on individuals who had used cell phones for 10 years or more. The study suggests an increased tumor risk, on the side of the head where the phone is held. The paper on these findings is set to be published in the International Journal of Cancer.Â
This is an issue that seems as if it just won’t die. Current science has debunked the idea that cell phones cause tumors, but new research continues to surface suggesting that there might be more to it than we currently understand.Â
Incidence of glioma seems to be very small, in any case. In this Japanese study of elderly patients,  the incidence of “intracranial tumors” was 18.1 cases per 100,000, of which malignant gliomas accounted for 13.3% — 2.4 per 100,000. An increase of 40% brings that figure to 3.36 per 100,000. In this country, you’re more likely to be killed in a car accident. Canadian deaths due to motor vehicle collisions are 8.9 per 100,000.
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Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry make Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
