Beware of long-term cell use

2005-09-05 09:06

Hong Kong - People should avoid long-term use of mobile telephones a Hong Kong neurosurgeon has warned, a media report said on Sunday.

Dawson Fong To-sang, chief of neurosurgery at Tuen Mun Hospital, said further research was needed to study the effects of phone use on the brain, the South China Morning Post reported.

Fong wanted more investigation to be done on the effects of phone use in the temporal region of the brain which is slightly in front of and above the ear. That area is most likely to be covered by the mobile phone and exposed to the highest frequencies, the doctor said.

He was commenting following the most recent study, carried out by Britain's Institute of Cancer Research, which found no links to the incidence of acoustic neuroma-type brain tumours which occur directly underneath the ear.

Results of the study

The results of study, which surveyed 678 people who have used mobile phones for 10 years, were published last week.

Fong said the study was limited because only one type of brain tumour - acoustic neuroma - was studied and the amount of time people spent using their phone was only equivalent to one hour a week.

He believed this was much less than many people, particularly youngsters and businessmen, spend using mobile phones.

Fong said people should limit mobile phone use to emergencies and avoid buying them for children under 14 years old. "It's a very good invention, but to abuse it might well cause trouble in later years," he added. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA