A new research study into the possible health effects if using a mobile phone remains inconclusive. According to a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology,
“The current study found that there is possible evidence linking mobile phone use to an increased risk of tumors from a meta-analysis of low-biased case-control studies. Prospective cohort studies providing a higher level of evidence are needed.”
Basically this is saying there is a bit of evidence but more research is needed. In the context of cancer risks from using mobile phones, status quo remains.
Although only the abstract of the research is available online for free, a long discussion is available at Australia’s ABC website. The significant issue in this article is that “high quality” research found evidence of a possible cancer link and “low-quality” research found none.
If one is not a medical researcher, as SafetyAtWorkBlog is not, this research provides no practical guidance for the reduction of risk. In fact, it goes some way to fostering the layman’s suspicion of research.
If one has the task of minimising the (perceived) risk of receiving cancer for workers using mobile telephones, this study is useless. In reducing the increasing concerns from staff about this occupational hazard, this study is useless. The research does indicate that, at least, research is continuing but it adds nothing to the state of OHS knowledge needed to manage the potential hazard.
“Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence”* seems to fit the situation of mobile phones and cancer.
* Both Carl Sagan and Donald Rumsfeld have used this phrase. Allocate credit to whichever you choose