- Question
Do cell phones cause cancer?
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified the radiofrequency fields generated by cell phones as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." With billions of people around the world using cell phones on a regular basis, any link between cell phones and cancer would represent a major public health risk. What does the science say? Has enough research been done? And can existing studies be trusted?
Yes, cell phones increase the risk of cancer.
This position holds that cell phones increase the risk of cancer. It argues that there is enough evidence to link the two — that cancer incidence correlates with phone use, that phone radiation can raise the chance of brain tumours, and that phone companies push reassuring bad science.
No, cell phones don't cause cancer.
This position holds that cell phones do not cause cancer. It argues on two fronts: that large epidemiological studies find no rise in cancer among phone users, and that the physics is reassuring — the non-ionising radiation phones emit lacks the energy to damage DNA.
The health effects of cell phones are still unclear.
This position holds that the health effects of cell phones remain unclear. It argues that existing studies are not conclusive either way on whether phones cause cancer, that further research is critical, and that health authorities sensibly recommend caution in the meantime.