Cellphones raise risk of ear tumors. That's right, ear tumors.

Oooooh, a lot of people aren't going to like hearing this, but a study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that the risk of ear tumors is 3.9 times higher for people who have been using a cellphone for more than ten years, but only on the side of the head where they hold their cellphone. We know what your next question is: Ear tumors? Yeah, in addition to brain cancer you'll have to also worry about acoustic neuroma, a benign tumor which affects the auditory nerve and can possibly lead to brain damage. There is one thing that'll help some of you sleep a little easier tonight: it's only analog cellphones that seem to cause this, there doesn't seem to be any evidence that digital cellphones (i.e. ones that use GSM or CDMA) raise the incidence of ear tumors at all. Which is good, because we're sorta into being able to hear and all that.

[DO @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Who on earth still uses an analog cell phone these days anyway?

[Jon Acheson @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

According to the article, the actual increase is from 0.00001% risk to 0.000039% risk, an increase in risk of 0.000029%.

I'd like to believe that when a BBC reporter uses phrases like "three times the risk" to sex up an article where the risk is incredibly small, the chances of them receiving a swift, powerful and immediate kick to the nards also goes up by three times. I'm an idealist, really. :)

[Jeff D @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

"3.9 times higher for people who have been using a cellphone for more than ten years" but not for users of digital cell phones? Seeing as how digital cell phones were only first starting to show up ten years ago, and most people were still analog for a decent portion of time after that, how can they conclude that this only affects analog cell phone users?

[Dorp @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I love ear tumors. They taste great with A-1 sauce.

[je @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

According to this article, http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=597&a=331500, GSM phones probably have the same effect, a few researchers are currently studying this and expect to have a report ready in the not to distant future.

[Pheo @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

Acoustic neuroma is for all practical purposes a benign brain tumor. In other words, they have to crack open your melon to get it out. It is a tumor of the vestibular nerve, but it grows right where the nerve exits the brain.

[Doug Moore @ Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM]

I happen to have an acoustic neuroma. Yes, it is a brain tumor, not an "ear" tumor. It causes you to lose your hearing, and potentially your balance. The statement, "a benign tumor which affects the auditory nerve and can possibly lead to brain damage" is incredibly misleading and practically false. The main risk if untreated is loss of hearing. In extreme cases it can grow large enough to affect your facial nerve (what makes your face move). Essentially it is an overgrowth of the cells around the nerve (the sheath around it) that transmits signals to your ear. As it grows it squeezes on the nerve and thus causes damage. If it is allowed to grow and grows too large (which often never happens) it can begin to press on the neighboring nerve, which is the facial nerve.

Really the largest risks with an acoustic neuroma is in the removal process. It is rare enough that there is debate about the best way, but the first way is "crack[ing] open your melon to get it out". However, "radiation" (I'll use that word to simplify) surgery is an increasingly popular alternative. No invasion -- just blasts of radiation localized at the tumor to attempt to kill it.

If anyone cares I blogged a little bit about it when I found out that I had the tumor: http://idledreams.net/dmoore/posts/192.aspx