Mental Health

Can Mobile Phones Cause Brain Tumors?

By Drishya Nair | Update Date: Oct 19, 2012 11:12 AM EDT

We have all been warned some time or the other, not to use mobile phone too frequently, as it may damage our brain cells, while some of us "believe" in that, some of us simply don't because there never has been enough scientific evidence to prove it.

Innocente Marcolini, a 60-year-old Italian businessman, reportedly fell ill after using a handset at work for up to six hours every day for 12 years and now, Italy's Supreme Court in Rome has blames his phone for the illness, saying there is a "causal link" between his illness and phone use, according to a report in the Sun.

"This is significant for very many people. I wanted this problem to become public because many people still do not know the risks. I was on the phone, usually the mobile, for at least five or six hours every day at work. I wanted it recognised that there was a link between my illness and the use of mobile and cordless phones. Parents need to know their children are at risk of this illness," Marcolini said.

Scientists from Britain however claim that there is no sufficient evidence to prove any such link.

However, experts say that it is possible that electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile and cordless phones could damage cells and make the occurrence of tumours more likely.

"The court decision is extremely important. It finally officially recognises the link. It'll open not a road but a motorway to legal actions by victims. We're considering a class action," Prof Angelo Gino Levis, oncologist and professor of environmental mutagenesis, told The Sun.

The tumor in Marcolini's was discovered in the area of the brain which the phone touched very frequently on his head. The tumor left paralysed and he takes daily morphine for pain.

"This is an interesting case and proves the need for more studies. People should limit mobile and cordless use until we know more," Alasdair Philips of Powerwatch, which campaigns for more research on mobile use was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

Last year, the WHO had warned against extensive usage of mobile phones, calling them a Class B carcinogen, the report said.

"The scientific consensus is that mobile phones do not cause cancer," but a spokesman for Britain's Health Protection Agency said according to the report.

"Studies show no evidence of cancer. But if you are worried, use a headset, hands-free or loudspeaker," Michael Repacholi, International radiation biology expert said.

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