WHO Cell cancer facts?
By Techgirl

I am writing this sitting in my offices in Mumbai. Like most other Indian media organizations, there are a number of TVs in the background.  Every 30 minutes, CNN-IBN is running the story that WHO is now saying that mobile phones can cause cancer.  Hindu, PTI, Times and every media group is also reporting the same story.

The WHO / IARC research has found that electromagnetic fields are possible carcinogenic to humans based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer.

Over the last few years, there has been mounting concern about the possibility of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to radiofrequency elecromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by wireless communication devices. The number of mobile phone subscriptions is estimated at 5 billion globally.

Every news media is reporting this WHO study as saying that there is a clear link between mobile phones and cancer.  But what did the WHO study really say?  The results of the study are as follows

“
The evidence was reviewed critically, and overall evaluated as being limited to among users of wireless telephones for glioma and acoustic neuroma, and inadequate to draw conclusions for other types of cancers. The evidence from the occupational and environmental exposures mentioned above was similarly judged inadequate. The Working Group did not quantitate the risk; however, one study of past cell phone use (up to the year 2004), showed a 40% increased risk for gliomas in the highest category of heavy users (reported average: 30 minutes per day over a 10 year period).
“

The actual results give a slightly different picture to the short news reports presented by broadcast, print and online media

Techgoss note:  Techgirl is a senior Tech journalist who reports on the IT, KPO and KPO Sectors for a leading media house.  In her spare time, she dabbles in satire in her blog techgirltalk.blogspot.com.  Techgirl has been ejected from Twitter for satirizing an Indian Minister.  Her satire blog has links to her Times of India interview detailing her being kicked out of Twitter, and then being invited back.