Cancer is a mysterious disease, the causes of which scientists still struggle to understand.
Recent research is examining if the ubiquitous use of cell phones could be contributing to our cancer risk.
Recent research has also found a link between fertility boosting drugs and childhood cancers.
IVF Drugs could be responsible for childhood cancers
According to scientists, IVF drugs used for assisted conception could increase risk of childhood cancers. According to French researchers, women who have fertility drugs to help them conceive may have kids who have double the normal risk for developing juvenile leukemia.
The risk of ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia), which is the most common type childhood cancer was seen to increase 2.6 times the normal rate because of ovarian stimulating drugs, it was found.
Other assisted reproduction techniques of in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination were not seen to increase the risk.
According to Dr Jeremie Rudant, the possible link between assisted reproductive technologies and childhood cancer had always been the subject matter of scientific scrutiny.
And now researchers have established that childhood leukemias can and do have a prenatal origin. They have hypothesized that this could be because of the manipulation of the sperm and egg and the repeated treatment at the time of conception.
Do cell phones really cause cancer?
We are constantly being given contradictory information about this issue. Whereas one study will tell us that there is absolutely no connection between cell phone usage and cancer, another will predict dire consequences of using this supremely convenient modern device.
A recent article in The Guardian looked at how the same study about the connection between mobile phone use and brain cancer risk can be interpreted in two diametrically opposite ways. Whereas half the leading dailies that reported the study said that there is no risk or danger from cell phone use, others cautioned against their use because of cancer risk.
So what is the truth?
- Cell phone technology has been around only for the past 15 years so we really don’t know its long-term impact.
- Studies have not yet been able to establish that cell phone use actually causes tumors in the brain.
- As long as radio frequencies conform to guideline levels, they are not dangerous.
It is best not to let growing kids (because of their thinner skulls) use the cell phone too much because we don’t fully know the long term implications
