WHO study says cell phones possble link to cancer and AN

[ppearl214]

Fact: Cell Phones are Dangerous.
Cell Phones Kill, and cause serious injury and harm to their users, and innocent people nearby.
Approximately 1:10,000,000 are killed by cell phone use every year.
1:10,000 have been injured or exposed to a potentially lethal situation as a result of Cell Phones use

Paul
Pls cite your source for these stats. Would like to know.  A link would be helpful.

thanks.
Phyl
(thanks MeiMei for the spell check! )

[Barb909]

I wonder if there has been a sharp increase in ANs in the last 5 - 10 years, since the beginning of "everyone has a cell phone".....? Or is it too early to gather the statistics?

B.

[PaulW]

Phyl my post was partially in jest.
Looks like the real statistics are even more scary than the ones I posted.

Found this link

http://www.livescience.com/121-drivers-cell-phones-kill-thousands-snarl-traffic.html

and this

http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html

and this

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/12/earlyshow/main6086546.shtml

[PaulW]

There has been an increase in AN's over the last 10 years.
What isn't clear is if the cause of the increase is from some sort of external influence eg mobile phones.
Or of the increase is due to better detection and awareness, and increased use of MRI's, as well as incidental detection.
eg have an MRI for a car crash and an AN is detected.

[ppearl214]

Hey Paul! Thanks for the links.  Interesting reads.  For me, too early to tell and the jury is still out on this issue.

Phyl

Phyl my post was partially in jest.
Looks like the real statistics are even more scary than the ones I posted.

Found this link

http://www.livescience.com/121-drivers-cell-phones-kill-thousands-snarl-traffic.html

and this

http://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cell-phone/statistics.html

and this

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/12/earlyshow/main6086546.shtml

[Soundy]

There has been an increase in AN's over the last 10 years.
What isn't clear is if the cause of the increase is from some sort of external influence eg mobile phones.
Or of the increase is due to better detection and awareness, and increased use of MRI's, as well as incidental detection.
eg have an MRI for a car crash and an AN is detected.

I read early in my AN journey , that most patients that die as a result of an AN don't know they had it and it is found post mortem ... and have also read that the increase in numbers of AN reported  was most likely due to better detection ... mine was found accidentally while investigating bells palsy and ruling out a mild stroke ... my surgeon said over half of the ANs that came to him were found while investigation something else ...

I am not ruling out the phone connection , but I think AN origins will always be a bit of a mystery

[cakulmom]

Can't resist commenting.  Mom (me) with AN; son (now 26) with a glioblastoma diagnosed at age 23.  So,  how's that for really bad luck?
Anyway, neither of us were heavy cell phone users.  He never got one until he was 17 and was still in the male teenage mumble-no talk mode.  I always used phone on other side of head (from AN).  His neuro-oncologist said the data was questionable at best.  Not to worry.  Nevertheless, perhaps there is a familial weak gene that made the 2 of us more susceptible.  Using speakerphone or headphone whenever possible, and eating lots of broccoli and blueberries. 

Wish we could have more control over the uncontrollable....

[Mei Mei]

Just back from the Symposium and there was a Yale Geneticist who said the data is not back yet on the Cell Phones but that

Here are my notes from Elizabeth Claus who I found most interesting because I am so interested in Genetics:
She said that the cell phone issue is still under consideration but that the issue of radiation in dental x rays (ionizing radation factors) leaves you at greater risk for tumors  This is dose dependent upon age, the younger you are the greater the risk.  That dental xrays are a problem and I sure have had my share of them as an affluent NY high tech kid.   I also had my feet xrayed at shoe stores so I would have been better off being in a third world country and not have my feet x rayed in a long Island shoe store.

That's all for tonight, but I wanted to report the most significant infor. I heard at the information.

Hugs to you all and hoping to see you in LA 2013.
Mei Mei

Elizabeth Claus PhD MD  Yale and Brigham and Women’s Hospital Brain Science Foundation
registration of benign tumors began in 2004
CBTRUS   6% of the brain tumors of the US

SEER registry data

Ionizing Radiation Risk Factors  Sole environmental risk factor for brain tumors   dose dependent, dependent on age, the younger you are the greater the risk.
CT Scans
Dental x rays   3.5 increasing risk for ANs
PICU
Airport Screening

decreased risk (significant) for AN with tobacco use

Cell phones   no data for association yet in the Short Term
10 years or more under study   Jonathan Samet
Microwave News.com
Glioma and acoustic neuromas

[CHD63]

As Mei Mei said, the very latest word at the symposium is that so far there is a lack of long-term data to conclude any connection to cell phone use.

Yale is in the process of obtaining a grant to do a comprehensive long-term study using DNA samples.  Many hurdles with costs and medical privacy issues but hopefully it will eventually lead to some concrete data for causes of ANs.

Clarice

[kraynok2]

cakulmom, you mentioned genetics.  I am very interested in the genetic connection because of my situation.  I had surgery for an acoustic neuroma in November, 2010 and when I had my follow-up MRI in March, they said I had another tumor in my salivary gland on the opposite side.  It turned out to be a parotid gland tumor and I had surgery for it in May.  It was benign and the same schawnomma as the AN.  Because of it being the same kind of tumor, I have to go for genetic testing in August.  It it turns out to be genetic, my two boys will have to be tested and then we watch.  So I was very interested in what Dr. Claus had to say at the symposium.  Sandy

[Mei Mei]

I, too am interested in the genetics.   I was diagnosed by a geneticist in March as having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and she thinks my two daughters have it from my description of them.   She wants to see them.   Go to google and look up Ehlers Danlos.  It might help in your medical care if you do have it.

Mei Mei