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No link between cellphone use and brain cancer, WHO-commissioned review says

Experts also looked at studies regarding children and found no links to an increased risk of leukemia or brain cancer in kids exposed to radio or TV transmitters.
Man talking on cellphone
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A review commissioned by the World Health Organization found no link between using cellphones and brain cancer, even if you’re on the device all day.

The review, published Wednesday in the journal Environmental International, was the result of an 11-person panel of experts from 10 countries looking at decades of research studies. The experts examined 5,000 studies published between 1994 and 2022, but 63 were used for the final analysis.

Since cellphones are often held against the head and emit radio waves, it's been a long-standing concern that the devices may cause cancer. But the consensus has been there’s no association, which the recent review upholds.

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Even users who have been active on their cellphones for over a decade aren’t at any increased health risk for cancer, the review said. It also stated there are no cancer links from cell towers.

Experts also looked at studies regarding children and found no links to an increased risk of leukemia or brain cancer in kids exposed to radio or TV transmitters, as well as cellphone towers.

The review is considered to include the most comprehensive findings on the subject to date and reassures many who regularly use their mobile devices for work or other means outside of their control.