Researchers still uncertain about safety in using cell phones

Leading scientists gathered in Washington, DC this week say that more research is needed to once and for all determine if cell phones cause health problems. News.com reports.

The question over whether cell phones pose a health risk has been debated for years, and researchers say the final answer could still be years away.

Since the wireless industry first began, there have been fears that cell phones could be harmful to your health. And even though some 600 studies have been conducted on the health effects of cell phone use, results have been conflicting.

... A study, funded in part by the wireless industry, started over a decade ago involving 13 countries, called Interphone, was supposed to settle the dispute. But the report's publication has been delayed as researchers disagree over how to interpret the data. Some countries have ended up publishing some results on their own. Much of it indicates there is a link between brain tumors and cell phone use of 10 years or more.

As this research becomes public, some well-respected scientists in the fields of cancer research, epidemiology, electrical and computer engineering, and electromagnetic radiation say they see reason for concern, while others say it is way too soon to make judgments. But one thing they all agree on is that more research is needed.