‘Does smartphone exposure cause brain cancer?’: Ask a doctor

Overuse of smartphones can have a variety of side effects — but is brain cancer one of them?

"Cell phones are ubiquitous, and concern about the radiation they emit can cause fear of brain tumor formation," said Dr. Paul Saphier, M.D., a neurosurgeon and founder of Coaxial Neurosurgical Specialists in New Jersey.

Saphier addressed these concerns in a conversation with Fox News Digital.

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The radiation emitted from cellphones is "within the radiofrequency region of the electromagnetic spectrum," Saphier said, hitting as high as 80 gigahertz (GHz) for 5G. 

"This is … low frequency and low energy," the doctor said. "Essentially, not enough energy to cause damage to the cells' DNA."

Cancers occur when "for one reason or another," the cells' DNA is damaged and causes the cells to start multiplying, according to Saphier.

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In 2001, early research by the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics failed to prove any correlation between cell phones and brain tumors, Saphier noted.

Public fears of cell phone exposure were elevated after an early trial in 2008 found a correlation between glioblastoma (an aggressive malignant brain cancer) and acoustic neuromas, which Saphier described as benign brain tumors "arising from the nerves involving the inner ear."

"This analysis was very flawed and relied heavily upon the authors' own prior trials," he said.

Additional international trials have not found a clear correlation, Saphier noted, although some Swedish trials have suggested a higher incidence in heavy cell phone users.

More recently, in 2022, an update to the U.K.’s large-scale Million Women Study found no correlation between cell phone usage and brain tumors, the expert reported.

"At this time, there is no direct link identified between cell phone usage and brain tumor development," Saphier said. 

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"As the technology changes and evolves, further trials and registries will be required to monitor the impact moving forward," he added.

Scott Dylan, founder of NexaTech Ventures, a U.K. tech investment firm, also called attention to the type of non-ionizing radiation that smartphones emit.

"Unlike ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, non-ionizing radiation doesn’t have enough energy to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms or molecules," he told Fox News Digital. 

"This means it cannot directly damage DNA in the same way that known carcinogens do."

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Current research from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies radiofrequency radiation as a "possible carcinogen," the tech expert said.

"But it’s important to note that this classification is based on limited evidence and doesn’t definitively link mobile phone use to cancer," Dylan said. "To date, no causal relationship between smartphone use and brain cancer has been proven."

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As the debate continues and research continues to evolve, Dylan encouraged cell phone users to follow "a few practical steps" to reduce exposure.

These steps include using hands-free options like speaker mode or headphones, limiting long calls, and avoiding sleeping with the phone near your head.

Dylan also recommends limiting use in low-signal areas where phones emit more radiation and taking breaks to avoid physical side effects like eye and neck strain.

"This is less about fearmongering and more about encouraging thoughtful tech use," he told Fox News Digital.

Added Dylan, "In a broader sense, while smartphones may not pose significant cancer risks, other potential concerns like eye strain, sleep disruption and posture issues (commonly referred to as ‘tech neck’) are worth considering."