A judge in Italy has ruled that excessive use of cellphones can cause brain cancer in a case involving a former telecommunications company worker who developed a brain tumor.
Courts Find Link Between Mobile Phone Use And Brain Tumor
Robert Romeo, who worked for Telecom Italia, claimed that constant use of his mobile phone due to work-related purposes was the reason he developed the tumor.
The 57-year-old, who was awarded state-funded pension equivalent to about $535 a month, claimed he used his mobile phone between three and four hours a day for 15 years. A medical examiner determined that the man's brain cancer damaged 23 percent of his bodily functions.
It is not the first time that the court found a link between heavy mobile phone usage and brain tumor. In 2012, Italy's supreme court upheld such a ruling in the case of Innocenzo Marcolini, who developed a tumor in the left side of his head. He claimed to use his cellphone for five to six hours daily for 12 years and normally held the device in his left hand while taking notes using his right hand.
What Experts Say
The rulings of the court will not likely end the debate on whether or not mobile phone use can cause cancer. Brain Tumour Charity chief scientific officer David Jenkinson said that researchers have not yet found sufficient evidence to prove a causal link between mobile phone use and the development of brain tumor.
"We know that many people are concerned about a possible connection between mobile phone use and the development of brain tumors," Jenkinson said. "However, the global research projects that have been conducted so far, involving hundreds of thousands of people, have found insufficient evidence that using a mobile phone increases the risk of developing a brain tumor."
The American Cancer Society said that studies that looked into the potential link between mobile phone use and brain tumors have mixed results. In most of these studies, the patients with brain tumors did not report more cellphone use than those in the control group.
"Most studies do not show a 'dose-response relationship,' which would be a tendency for the risk of brain tumors to be higher with increasing cellphone use," the American Cancer Society said.
Most of the studies also did not show that the brain tumors more often develop on the side of the head where people tend to hold their phones, which is expected to happen if mobile phone use causes brain tumors.
Some studies though found a potential link such as those published by researchers from Sweden. They found an increased likelihood for a tumor on the side of the head where a mobile phone was held in people who use cellphones for at least 10 years.
"It is hard to know what to make of these findings because most studies by other researchers have not had the same results, and there is no overall increase in brain tumors in Sweden during the years that correspond to these reports," the ACS said.
Precautions When Using Mobile Phones
Still, health and safety experts urged precautions when using mobile phones. They recommend keeping the phone away from the head and body especially when the signal is weak. When making calls, mobile phone users are also urged to use the speakerphone of the device or opt to use a hands-free headset.
