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Cell Phones Hike Cancer in Kids 5-Fold
Researchers fear future epidemic, urge immediate precautions
By Matt Cantor
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Posted Sep 21, 08 10:20 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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Children under 20 using cell phones are five times more likely to get brain cancer, a Swedish study has found, stoking fears of an upcoming cancer epidemic. Kids’ undeveloped brains and nervous systems, as well as their thinner skulls and smaller heads, put them at higher risk from radiation, the Independent reports. Use of home cordless phones increases cancer risk fourfold, the study noted.
“Children are spending significant time on mobile phones. We may be facing a public health crisis in an epidemic of brain cancers,” said an expert. Meanwhile, people who began using cell phones in their 20s were found to increase their risk of glioma, a nervous-system cancer, by 50%, and to face double the risk of benign tumors that can cause deafness. "This is a warning sign. It is very worrying. We should be taking precautions," said the lead researcher.